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Who is a sports medicine physician? What does he or she do exactly? These are questions which are on the minds of many people who have recently heard of the term sports medicine physician. To become a sports medicine doctor one has to first be a physician and then undergo special training in sports medicine. Here the doctor concentrates on the long term health and fitness of his patients by helping them to overcome illness and injuries.

The main job of a sports physician is to help his patients to function at their peak level and prevent any untoward setbacks in their physical health which can affect their sports, school and working life.

These specialized doctors do not concentrate only on sportspeople and athletes but also people who take up training programs just to keep fit. What exactly does a sports medicine physician play in a person?s life? What qualifications are necessary for someone to become one?

A sports medicine physician doubles up not only as a general physician but also incorporates sports medicine into his treatment procedures so as to help prevent illness and help maintain perfect health of his clients.

Normally in any sports there is a team of doctors catering to the needs of the players and it is the sports medicine physician who normally heads the team of doctors. This team can be made of specialists in surgical procedures, sports trainers, therapists, coaches and others. All of them are experienced professionals who could have specialized in any one of the following fields like family practice, Emergency medicine, Pediatrics, internal medicine, rehabilitation and Physical medicine.

You will find that all sports medicine physicians would have completed an additional 1-2 years training in specialized subjects in sports medicine through fellowship programs which are accredited. After having completed their certificate in areas like Internal medicine, Family Practice, pediatrics or Emergency medicine, these professionals then become eligible to take up another special examination to qualify in the field of sports medicine.
These sports physicians then work to obtain more training in non-musculoskeletal areas like head injuries and their treatments, treating athletes with chronic illness like asthma and diabetes, in aspects of supplements, nutrition and performance based issues, and prevention of injuries.

Now having learnt what exactly a sports medicine physician does when it comes to treating in sports medicine the next step is to search for a qualified person in the field of sports medicine.

The best way to find a capable and qualified person in this field is through referrals. Seek the help of your family doctor, friends and those working along with you as they would provide the best advice. You can also take the help from athletes when searching for a good sports medicine physician.

You can also search in online listings or at the American orthopedic Society, American Medical Association and the Physician and Sports Medicine Association.

If you are a medical student interested in sports then you can easily opt for sports medicine career. Many people are still in doubt thinking whether there are enough career opportunities in sports medicine, but there are excellent career options available if you are really interested in making a career in sports medicine.

There are two major areas in which you can make your career in sports. One is working with the athletes and people from other sports so that they can improve their fitness and performance. The second one involves curing the sports personalities from the injuries they suffer while playing. Depending on the options that you choose as your career, you can carry on higher education and degree courses on that or even go for the certification courses required for these fields. Here are some of the options that you can try out:

Athletic trainer: If you are opting for this career then you need to be a part of the medical team that treats sports persons who suffer from sports-related injuries. For this career you need to have an undergraduate degree from an accredited program and then need to sit for an examination to be qualified for the same.

Physical therapist: As a physical therapist, you are required to help people get cured from the injuries affecting their bones, muscles, joints or nerves. You can also opt the career of an occupational therapist for which you need to help those who suffer from any disabilities to perform properly at home or work. For both of these careers you need to have a master’s degree and then a specialized training.

Exercise physiology: In this career you need to study the physiological responses and adaptations of an athlete to various physical activities. Based on these studies you need to find out ways to improve the athlete’s performance and health and fitness. For this field you also need an undergraduate degree and then a certification.

Other than these you can opt for the career of a dietitian, rehabilitation specialist or strength and conditioning coach depending on your interest.