Course Goals
This two-week course is an outpatient sports medicine elective for fourth-year medical students. Students will work directly with selected sports medicine physicians in various clinical settings to enhance their knowledge of sports medicine related presentations and pathology. Students will have the opportunity to perform focused histories and physical exams, interpret diagnostic and radiologic imaging studies, organize differential diagnoses, and make treatment recommendations for conditions commonly encountered in primary care sports medicine settings. Emphasis will be placed specifically on development of knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine and concussion with opportunities to additionally develop procedural skills through participation in common sports medicine-based procedures such as point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound, injections, casting, splinting, etc.
Students will spend the rotation primarily at the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute (OSMI) and Student Health Care Center (SHCC). Students rotating in the fall will spend a total of approximately 13 half days in non-operative sports medicine clinic at OSMI, 2 half days in sports medicine and acute care (SMAC) clinic at SHCC, 1 evening in Orthocare after hours (OCAH) clinic, 1 half day in casting room, 1 half day of didactics/musculoskeletal ultrasound practice, and 2 evenings participating in local high school football coverage (subject to scheduling availability). The course will be offered during the following months: August, September, October, November, January, February, March. High school football coverage will be replaced with alternative sports medicine and coverage opportunities based on availability for students rotating in the spring.
Course Objectives
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic anatomy and pathophysiology related to musculoskeletal injuries.
- Identify essential elements of the musculoskeletal exam.
- Illustrate how to perform essential musculoskeletal exam maneuvers with patients.
- Interpret basic point-of-care and formal diagnostic radiologic imaging studies.
- Devise sports medicine related differential diagnoses.
- Formulate management strategies and treatment plans for common sports medicine pathology.
- Formulate clinical questions; review available reference literature; and use this information to make sports medicine specific treatment recommendations.
- Understand basic issues relating to the delivery of high-quality medical care to patients with sports medicine problems, including coordination of patient care with ancillary medical services, consultants or other outside medical care professionals.