3 answers
Clinton
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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How difficult is it getting the education needed to be a sports physician?
What would you have to go through to get to be called a doctor
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3 answers
Suzanne Sorkin
Retired family physician and medical educator
115
Answers
Traverse City, Michigan
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
Clinton, to become a sports medicine physician you need to:
Go to college and get a bachelor's degree with a pre-med track. You can major in anything which interests you but you will need to be sure to take and do well in the basic courses required to apply to medical school (typically a year of inorganic chemistry with labs, organic chem with lab, physics, a year of biology, math thru calculus). You take the MCAT (med school admissions exam) and then apply and get accepted to medical school.
Medical school is four years. During the fourth year typically you can do some electives and you could opt for sports med and orthopedics electives.
You would then do a residency. Sports med doctors can be either primary care docs with extra training in sports med, or, if you want to do orthopedic surgery, orthopedic doctors often with extra training in sports med. (Residents do get paid but are still in training and supervised). Primary care residency is three years and orthopedics is about five years. A sports med fellowship then would be another year.
Other options to consider if you are not looking to go the medical school route would be athletic trainer or physical therapist specializing in sports. Other people become physician's assistants (PA school) and work with sports med doctors.
Go to college and get a bachelor's degree with a pre-med track. You can major in anything which interests you but you will need to be sure to take and do well in the basic courses required to apply to medical school (typically a year of inorganic chemistry with labs, organic chem with lab, physics, a year of biology, math thru calculus). You take the MCAT (med school admissions exam) and then apply and get accepted to medical school.
Medical school is four years. During the fourth year typically you can do some electives and you could opt for sports med and orthopedics electives.
You would then do a residency. Sports med doctors can be either primary care docs with extra training in sports med, or, if you want to do orthopedic surgery, orthopedic doctors often with extra training in sports med. (Residents do get paid but are still in training and supervised). Primary care residency is three years and orthopedics is about five years. A sports med fellowship then would be another year.
Other options to consider if you are not looking to go the medical school route would be athletic trainer or physical therapist specializing in sports. Other people become physician's assistants (PA school) and work with sports med doctors.
TLAUREN TLAUREN
CA
120
Answers
San Gabriel, California
Updated
TLAUREN’s Answer
Skills and qualifications for a sports medicine physician. Superior understanding of physical medicine and medical biology. In addition, you need a comprehensive understanding of disease and injury diagnostics a comprehensive comprehension of sports culture and practices.ability to administer various medications and treat without surgery.
Erik Deede
Emergency Physician
5
Answers
Sudbury, Massachusetts
Updated
Erik’s Answer
Agree with everything Suzanne said- she answered it perfectly.