What is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician?

A primary care sports medicine physician is someone who has completed both a residency in primary care and a fellowship in primary care sports medicine. Most fellowships are one year but several that are run by pediatric sports medicine physicians are two year fellowships.

What does practice look like?
Those who become certified in pediatric sports medicine fill rolls in many capacities and include the following:

• Combined general pediatrics and sports medicine practice
• Exclusively musculoskeletal medicine, usually in partnership with an orthopedic group or department, sometimes with a fair amount of pediatric fracture care
• Student health physician
• Combined adolescent medicine and sports medicine practice
• Team physician for high schools, colleges, and elite athletes (professional and national teams)

Many of the above options can be accomplished in academic medicine or private practice.​​