Sports Medicine
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A Career in Sports Medicine
What sort of work is available in sports medicine?
The term Sports Medicine encompasses a broad field of careers involved in maintaining an athlete’s fitness and physical well being. Jobs in sports medicine entail assessing and treating injured athletes, advising and educating on prevention strategies, staying up to date with the latest research. At one end there are the doctor / medical practitioners who specialize in sports medicine, requiring many years of study. However, this is not the only career in sports health, there are allied professions such as physiotherapy or physical therapists, massage therapists and podiatrists who may specialize in treating athletes. At the other end of the scale many sporting teams may employ a sports or athletic trainer who assists on a daily basis with basic knowledge in massage, strapping and response to acute sports injuries.
How to get a job in sports medicine
An interest in sports is very important, but that will only take you so far. If you wish to follow this career path, you should focus on the sciences in high school. Whatever the area of sports medicine that you go in to, the basic coursework will include areas of anatomy, biology, (bio)chemistry, physiology and other sciences. Do research into the available colleges for your chosen field, and their costs and prerequisites. Medical practitioners require many years at university followed by training in the sports medicine specialty, other jobs usually require at least a Bachelors Degree, while a athletic trainer may get a job following a short diploma course and plenty of hands on experience. With the appropriate education, and experience and dedication to excellence you can get a successful career in the sports medicine field.
Related Pages
- about the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- more Careers in Sport
- more about Sports Medicine
