Public interest in sports, both professional and amateur, continues to grow, and more and more people have made regular exercise a part of their life. The downside to all this healthy activity is the fact that athletes in any sport—from football to golf—are at risk for injuries. When your body is engaged in any physical activity, you can accidentally strain a muscle, pull a tendon—or worse. Sports doctors are trained in treating these kinds of injuries—and in helping to prevent them.
Job Responsibilities
Sports doctors are medical professionals whose area of specialty is the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries from athletic activities, including sports and fitness exercises. They generally focus on joint, bone and muscle health, although they can deal with any area of medicine that affects the well-being of the people they work with. Professional and even college teams have their own sports doctor in attendance at practice sessions, where they advise players and coaches on best practices for avoiding injury, and during games, when they are on-call to respond to emergencies on the field. Sports medicine doctors also help establish and promote safe and effective exercise guidelines.
Required Skills and Interests
Becoming a sports medicine doctor requires a medical degree—followed by a residency, fellowship in sports medicine, and then licensing and certification. Of course, people who choose this career path also need to have an interest in sports and exercise, and a desire to participate in this arena. Sports medicine also attracts people who are interested in conducting research in physical exercise, sports science, and the benefits of exercise for people of all ages. The field is evolving, with sports medicine doctors working in fitness centers, hospitals, and clinics, with geriatric populations or school-age children.
Educational Requirements and Training
Many students who are interested in going on to medical school complete a Bachelor’s Degree with a pre-med concentration that gives them a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, and physics. Getting into medical school can be competitive, so make sure you complete the courses and have the grades to be a good applicant. You will also be required to pass the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in order to get into medical school. If you are interested in sports medicine, you probably will be involved in some kind of team or individual sports activity, as well.
Most sports doctors complete a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) or a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. These degree programs generally involve four years of academic coursework in biology, biochemistry, anatomy, pathology, psychology, physiology, medical ethics, and pharmacology. Medical students must also complete a clinical residency, which gives hands-on practice in a variety of clinical settings under the supervision of doctors and healthcare professionals. A three-year residency in primary care, emergency, internal, or rehabilitative medicine offers suitable training for a sports medicine specialization, though some students choose a five-year residency in orthopedic surgery. It may be possible to secure an elective rotation in sports medicine during this stage.
Fellowship
Since sports medicine is a subspecialty, you must get a certification of added qualification (CAQ) in sports medicine. To prepare for this, you will need to complete a two-year fellowship in sports medicine at a hospital, rehabilitation facility, or university athletic department. During these two years, you will be exposed to different types of athletic-related injuries and methods of diagnosing and treating them. These fellowships also provide experience with orthopedic surgeries, and rehabilitative techniques and strategies, brain trauma and injuries, nutrition, and performance psychology. Orthopedic surgeons can also apply for fellowships in this field but added qualification certification is not required.
License and Certification
All states require medical doctors to be licensed. Check with your state’s licensing board for their specific requirements.
In addition to your license, you may want to get certified by a recognized professional organization. This certification will make you a better job candidate since it will show that you have met the organization’s professional requirements, and are staying up-to-date in developments in this subspecialty through continuing education courses. Certification in sports medicine is offered by the following organizations:
- American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS)
- American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Job Prospects and Salary
Job prospects for medical doctors are better than average, as are salary prospects. The average annual salary for sports medicine doctors is $166,000. Sports doctors with more experience and their own practices can earn more than $200,000. Interestingly, many professional sports teams no longer hire their own sports doctors; instead, some hospitals or clinics pay the team for the privilege of being listed as a sponsor and provide sports doctors from their staff to assist at practice and games.
Sports medicine is a subspecialty that is evolving and gaining recognition, and sports doctors work with many different populations to help people prevent injury, perform safely, and enhance their well-being. If you have a passion for sports and exercise and want to apply medical knowledge and training in these fields, sports medicine might be the right career path for you.