Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine is a multidisciplinary field spanning various medical specialties, including cardiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, orthopaedic surgery, pediatrics, and PM&R. More than 3.5 million children under the age of fourteen receive medical care for sports injuries annually, and in high school athletics alone, two million injuries are estimated each year, with a quarter of these resulting in physician visits.1 Sports medicine physicians, alongside their allied health care partners (athletic trainers, physical therapists, etc.), are responsible for diagnosing, treating, and managing these injuries as well as the many different acute and chronic musculoskeletal issues affecting active older individuals.

The Sports Medicine Interest Group was developed to provide VUSM students with educational, networking, and community outreach opportunities within the broad field of sports medicine. The group is chartered with the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), and can provide opportunities for students to get involved at the national level also.

1. Powell JW, Barber-Foss KD. Injury patterns in selected high school sports: a review of the 1995-1997 seasons. J Athl Train. 1999;34(3):277-284.