Body Shop by Evan Crain, M.D.
Sports Medicine Has Distinct Specialties
DEAR DR. CRAIN:
My son is a junior in high school and is interested in sports medicine for
a career. Is there anything he can do now to prepare himself for this? We
are now in the process of applying to colleges. Are you aware of which colleges
have a good program in this area?
C.H., Wilmington
DEAR C.H.: Just like a baseball team who has players in different positions, nowadays, the team's sports medicine group is composed of different specialists each well trained in their area of expertise. A typical sports medicine team can include physical therapists, trainers, nutritionists, psychologists, chiropractors, and medical doctors.
Each person in this team is responsible for their specific area by working toward a common goal of providing a safe and healthy environment for successful play.
The most important thing for your son to do now is to study in school and get good grades. With all of the advances in the field of sports medicine, many students are interested in entering this field. There is much more complexity of technology in each area of expertise. Those students who work the hardest will succeed.
Your son should think about which area of sports medicine he is interested in. Once he considers this, you can determine which schools have good programs in this area with your school college counselor.
The University of Delaware, for example, has one of the best programs in sports medicine physical therapy in the country. This is a very competitive program that requires good grades for acceptance.
I have no doubt that as your son progresses in the field of sports medicine, he will share the same enthusiasm that I have for this field.
Dr. Evan Crain is an orthopaedic surgeon with First State Orthopaedics. He answers questions about sports medicine and general orthopaedics.
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