Sports are literally my life and it would be a dream to be able to work for some of my favorite sports teams and treat their players. How hard is it to obtain these positions and would it be easier to achieve with a degree in podiatry or osteopathic medicine?
Should I go Podiatry or DO if I'm aspiring to work for a sports team (college or professional)?
- Thread starter Vertu
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It's going to be hard either way. It just comes down to being part of a group or healthcare system willing to pay for the advertisement space. If you want to be THE team doc, there are MD/DO fellowships. You can also create a practice that focuses on sports med.
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Depends on your DO specialty. It also depends on if youre talking HS, college or pro. It also probably depends on which sports. This is a lot of peoples' dream, mine included. Either way it is possible; just look up Dr. Perry Julien and Dr. Lee Cohen
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You go to a top MD school if u wanna do that.
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No one said it was impossible..
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I believe the DPM that works at a hospital in my area is a team podiatrist for the Baltimore Ravens as well.
@OP, there are definitely opportunities as a DPM to work with sports teams. However as others have mentioned, there are few of these positions. Also, I would imagine that for many teams (pro or college), the DPM likely has a more full-time oriented position elsewhere, with the team affiliation job on the side.
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If that's really your dream your best bet would do MD followed by orthopedic surgery followed by sports medicine fellowship. But since you're posting on podiatry I presume that may not be in the cards for you. In that case DO is probably your best bet by going into primary care and then doing a fellowship in sports medicine. However an MD might make you more competitive for this type of fellowship. Mostly every team has a primary care staff/head. DPMs are on staff too but generally are on the lower end of the totem pole in the team doctor hierarchy. But i suppose this would be the least competitive route to take.
Source: My uncle is an orthopod for an NBA team.
Source: My uncle is an orthopod for an NBA team.
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I would suggest you look up the name of the physicians in your area that have your dream job and ask them directly. What state are you in and do you care where you're going to practice?
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I interviewed a family med doctor who did a sports fellowship who would sit in a booth at the top of the Big House (University of Michigan Football Stadium) and watch for players that hey thought might be concussed or injured but weren't fessing up. He was a DO. He said it's all about being good at what you do and being willing to work. High schools will probably let any DPM, DO, or MD who wants to get into sports be on the sidelines for free. If I remember correctly that's what they guy I interviewed did, just so he had some sort of experience. n=1 YMMV
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Forgive me if this appears as trolling, but I find it baffling that anyone can say "I want to practice specifically with X type of patients or Y conditions" or "I really want to work in Z setting"
Your experiences in courses, with classmates, and especially in clinics may radically alter your interest several times in your first year alone.
Start with a big scope and then narrow it as you become more informed.
A pre-med advisor told me he marks down applicants who, when prompted with the question 'what type of medicine do you want to practice', answer with a specific field or specialty. The reason being that it is so short sighted to possibly believe you know enough about said field to make an informed decision, you're just grasping at straws.
FWIW- Sports medicine is competitive and growing in Pod, but not lucrative or desirable IMO. Yeah, it's 'cool'- but athletes have the crappy combination of needing a lot of attention without a lot of treatment (meaning less $$$).
Your experiences in courses, with classmates, and especially in clinics may radically alter your interest several times in your first year alone.
Start with a big scope and then narrow it as you become more informed.
A pre-med advisor told me he marks down applicants who, when prompted with the question 'what type of medicine do you want to practice', answer with a specific field or specialty. The reason being that it is so short sighted to possibly believe you know enough about said field to make an informed decision, you're just grasping at straws.
FWIW- Sports medicine is competitive and growing in Pod, but not lucrative or desirable IMO. Yeah, it's 'cool'- but athletes have the crappy combination of needing a lot of attention without a lot of treatment (meaning less $$$).
