Sports Medicine

Residents interested in Sports Medicine should seek out experiences that provide broad exposure to and understanding of the prevention, diagnosis, and management of sports-related and musculoskeletal conditions in children and adolescents. This includes involvement in acute injury care—such as fractures, sprains, and concussions—as well as overuse injuries, growth-plate disorders, tendonitis, and exercise-induced conditions. Gaining experience with diagnostic tools like musculoskeletal and point-of-care ultrasound, functional movement and gait analysis, and return-to-play testing is invaluable. Engagement in research or quality improvement projects—focused on injury prevention strategies, concussion protocols, or rehabilitation outcomes—is encouraged to strengthen evidence-based practice and prepare for subspecialty training.

Contacts

Kate Berz, DO

Essential Electives

Recommended Electives

This half- or full-block elective gives residents experience interpreting musculoskeletal imaging—radiographs, MRI, and ultrasound—to recognize common sports injuries and guide clinical decision-making. Residents will also observe image-guided procedures, such as ultrasound-guided injections.

This half- or full-block elective introduces residents to the evaluation and management of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions that can mimic or complicate sports injuries, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis or myositis. Residents will join multidisciplinary clinics and observe musculoskeletal ultrasound and joint aspirations.

This half- or full-block elective allows residents to perform and assist with key ED procedures—such as joint reductions, splinting, and point-of-care ultrasound—for acute sports injuries in the emergency setting.

This half- or full-block elective focuses on cardiac screening and evaluation for athletes, including ECG interpretation, exercise stress testing, and management of conditions like arrhythmias or congenital heart disease that affect safe sports participation.

This half- or full-block elective provides exposure to exercise-induced asthma and other pulmonary conditions, with opportunities to interpret pulmonary function tests and participate in exercise challenge testing to optimize clearance for athletic activities.

Other Electives

This half- or full-block elective covers concussion management, neurocognitive testing, and coordination of return-to-learn/play protocols alongside sports neurologists.

This half- or full-block elective offers experience in functional rehabilitation planning, adaptive equipment prescription, and collaboration with physical and occupational therapists for injured athletes.

This half- or full-block elective introduces residents to multimodal pain strategies—including pharmacologic, interventional, and integrative approaches—for acute and chronic sports-related pain.

This half- or full-block elective immerses residents in a nutrition and wellness clinic, emphasizing fueling strategies, energy availability, and nutritional optimization for young athletes.

This half- or full-block elective gives residents insight into metabolic and hormonal influences on growth, bone health, and energy balance that impact athletic performance and injury risk.

Recommended procedures

• Peripheral IV placement
• Suture repair
• Splint application
• Joint injection/aspiration
• Joint reduction

Optional procedures

• Spirometry
• Graded exercise testing

Other Experiences

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Sports medicine outreach (team physician, sideline coverage)

Scholarly Activity

Many applicants pursuing Sports Medicine fellowship participate in a scholarly project. The project may be completed with aSports Medicine faculty, or may be completed in a related specialty.

Professional Organizations

• Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness (AAP-COSMF)The AAP’s Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness supports and encourages optimal and safe physical activity in the pediatric population, equipping pediatric providers with guidelines, clinical reports, and advocacy tools to deliver high-quality sports medicine care. Learn more about COSMF  
• American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM)AMSSM is a non-profit membership organization of over 3,000 non-surgical sports medicine physicians dedicated to advancing education, research, and advocacy in sports medicine. Members have access to position statements, clinical practice guidelines, and an annual meeting focused on the latest in athlete health and performance. Visit AMSSM  

Journals & Online Resources

• AMSSM Clinical Resources: AMSSM’s website hosts peer-reviewed position statements (e.g., concussion management, cardiovascular screening), case studies, and webinars. It’s a go-to portal for evidence-based protocols in pediatric and adult sports medicine. AMSSM Publications & Guidelines  
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): ACSM is the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization (nearly 50,000 members). It publishes the flagship journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and offers certification, position stands, and continuing education for clinicians and allied health professionals. Visit ACSM  
• OrthoBullets: An online orthopaedic education platform where over 200,000 physicians collaborate. It features…
  • Topics & Techniques: >6,000 bullet-point topics and 700+ surgical technique guides
  • Case Library & QBank: Thousands of peer-reviewed cases and board-style questions
  • Multimedia: Videos, podcasts, and linked journal PDFs
  • Explore OrthoBullets  
• VuMedi: VuMedi is a clinician-driven video education platform with 450,000+ users. It offers on-demand lectures, procedure demos, and conference highlights across 25+ specialties—including a robust Sports Medicine channel. Browse VuMedi