So You Want To Work In Sports Medicine Plr Ebook

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 4
2 HISTORICALLY SPEAKING –A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPORTS MEDICINE 6
EARLY PRACTITIONERS OF SPORTS MEDICINE 6
Middle Ages And The Renaissance Period 7
MODERN TIMES AND MODERN HISTORY 7
SPORTS MEDICINE FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II 8
TIMELINE: SIGNIFICANT PERSONS, GROUPS AND DATES IN SPORTS MEDICINE HISTORY 9
CONCLUSION 11
3 ASSESSING YOUR SUITABILITY AND ELIGIBILITY 13
SPORTS MEDICINE – A BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND DEFINITION 13
CHARACTER ASSESSMENT 14
INTERESTS 16
INITIAL EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 17
INITIAL EDUCATIONAL PLANNING 18
CONCLUSION: A SUMMARY OF THE OVERALL REQUIREMENTS 18
4 REACHING YOUR GOAL – DIFFERENT PATHS, DIFFERENT EDUCATION 20
TYPOLOGY – AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES 20
Athletic Trainer or Sports Therapist 20
Biomechanic/Kinsiologist 20
Chiropractor 21
Exercise Physiologist 21
Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer 21
Massage Therapist 21
Nutritionist/Sports Dietician 21
Occupational Therapist 21
Orthopodist 22
Physical Therapist 22
Podiatrist 22
Researcher in Exercise Scientist 22
Sports Medicine Physician/Medical Doctor 22
Sports Psychologist 23
Strength and Conditioning Coach 23
MAJOR AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION IN SPORTS MEDICINE TODAY 23
EDUCATIONAL POSSIBILITIES 24
GETTING THERE – HOW TO REALIZE IT AND WHO TO GO TO FOR HELP 25
CONCLUSION 28
5 SO THIS IS YOUR CAREER – NOW WHAT 29
JOBS – THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 29
Research 30
fieldwork 30
Clinical work 30
BASIC EMPLOYERS 31
professional sports and its athletes 31
Amateur sports 32
Governments 32
Clinics 32
SPORTS MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS 32
HINTS FOR THE SPORTS MEDICINE JOB HUNTER 33
CONCLUSION 35
6 CONCLUSION 36

Sample Content Preview

1
INTRODUCTION

Sports medicine is a relatively new field or subsection of medicine. Although it has solid roots in the past, its existence is very much a part of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Sports medicine is a growing field of employment due to the explosive expansion in sports and athletic activities. Not only are there the traditional high school, professional and amateur sports, there are also the “extreme” sports.

With every athletic event, there is risk of injury. In the instances of the so-called extreme versions, the likelihood of accidents and harm to the body increases. The focus of sports medicine is on the proper functioning of the human body during athletics and sporting competitions. Its concern is to prevent and treat any possible injuries resulting from such activities.

There is a demand for practitioners in the discipline of sports medicine. The need for people to be able to diagnose and manage sporting injuries is increasing proportionately to the interest in extreme, elite, professional amateur and recreational sports. Employers vary from professional team owners or managers to elite athletes to high schools and colleges. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in this field of study and work will find him or herself facing an ever-widening choice of possible employment.

The field of sports medicine is growing because it is a varied one. It is not a single sphere of expertise. The term “sports medicine” is a wide umbrella encompassing diverse professions. It is not a single profession. This makes the term hard to define, but it opens up many different doors of employment for now and in the future.

Where specifically does a specialist in sports medicine find work? The specialist works with athletes in the field and in a clinical setting. He or she may become a team physician or an athletic trainer. There are those in sport medicine who practice as orthopedic surgeons, exercise physiologists, biomechanists, physical therapists, sports psychologists and sports nutritionists. All have their own niche within this diverse subsection of medicine.