Sports Medicine Physician Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the sports medicine physician job description, including the key tasks, duties, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the sports medicine physician role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Sports Medicine Physician Do?

A sports medicine physician provides medical treatment and/or counseling to athletes. Also known simply as a sports physician, he/she has the same training as a primary care doctor and an orthopedic surgeon.

Sports physicians commonly have athletes as patients with a job description that primarily aims at promoting wellness and fitness.

A sports medicine physician, just like an orthopedic surgeon, is usually well-trained in musculoskeletal treatment procedure and usually specializes in the non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

It is important to note that the duties of sports physicians do not only involve treating competitive athletes, they also include taking care of non-athletes and individuals who want to be active, or who are beginning an exercise program.

A sports medicine physician works hand-in-hand with sports physical therapists in helping injured individuals return to being healthy again, and also assist them to successfully complete rehabilitation program from injuries.

Sports medicine physicians attend to both male and female patients, likewise children and adults.

Sports Medicine Physician Job Description Example/Template

A sports medicine physician performs various functions in ensuring that patients recover properly from injuries, and also make sure that they go through necessary rehabilitation procedures to avoid setbacks in their recovery process.

The typical tasks, duties, and responsibilities commonly performed by persons who work as sports medicine physicians for sports teams or even individuals are shown in the job description example below:

• Offer advice on when it is appropriate for athletes to return to their sporting activities so as to prevent a relapse or recurrence of injuries
• Perform evaluation and observance of athletes’ mental state and well-being
• Provide assistance to team coaches and/or therapist in choosing and fixing protective equipment on athletes
• Advise athletes and coaches against sports activities that are dangerous
• Record medical history of athletes, and also carry out physical examination on athletes
• Carry out research in areas that have to do with treatment of medical conditions that are sports-related
• Prescribe and develop exercise programs that can help injured athletes to recover properly and regain full fitness
• Responsible for the supervision of athletes’ rehabilitation program and procedure
• Inform athletes’ coach/ trainer about their medical condition at all times
• Interpret results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging processes
• Perform evaluation and management of chronic pain conditions
• Perform treatment (usually non-surgical) of disorders in the musculoskeletal system
• Coordinate sports care activities with other medical experts, like physical therapists and surgeons
• Develop/formulate and test procedures for handling emergency situation during sports activities
• Carry out checks on athletes before their involvement in sporting activities to discover their fitness levels and susceptibility to injury
• Provide counseling and education to athletes and sports-inclined individuals regarding illness and prevention of injuries.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Sports Medicine Physician Role

When hiring for the role of sports medicine physician, most employers common set the following requirements and qualifications to enable them get the best candidates for the job:

• Possession of good communication skills (clarity in communication) is a must for every sports medicine physician
• Must possess good analytical and problem-solving abilities
• He/she must be a people person. That is to say that he/she must be friendly and easy to approach, and be able to get along well with people
• Must have good eye-hand coordination so as to be able to work effectively
• Must possess good coordinating ability
• Must be someone that pays adequate attention to details always
• Must exhibit a high level of patience and understanding when handling patients (athletes)
• Must show flexibility in handling patients due to the fact that injury concerns may differ from patient to patient
• A Degree in medicine is required
• Residency and fellowship in sports medicine
• Must have all the required licenses and certification needed to work in a particular region or locality.

Conclusion

If you are an employer and need to hire a sports medicine physician, you will need to publish a good work description for the role to be able to attract the best candidates for the position.

To quickly and easily make a detailed and effective description for the sports medicine physician job in your organization, you can apply the sample job description and information about the duties and responsibilities of the role provided in this post.

Also, individuals interested in the sports medicine career will find this article useful in learning about the duties and responsibilities that represent the sports medicine physician position.