What Do Sports Medicine Physicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Sports Medicine Physicians

Sports Medicine Physicians diagnose, treat, and help prevent injuries that occur during sporting events, athletic training, and physical activities.

Salary
$218850
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Sports Medicine Physicians diagnose, treat, and help prevent injuries that occur during sporting events, athletic training, and physical activities. They also diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Other tasks include:

  • Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures.
  • Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury.
  • Record athletes’ medical care information and maintain medical records.
  • Record athletes’ medical histories and perform physical examinations.
  • Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries.
  • Coordinate sports care activities with other experts including specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, or coaches.

We asked Sports Medicine Physicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

74%

How meaningful is this job

82%


74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Sports Medicine Physicians diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures.

A typical day for a Sports Medicine Physician will also include:

  • Record athletes’ medical care information and maintain medical records.
  • Prescribe medications for the treatment of athletic-related injuries.
  • Refer athletes for specialized consultation, physical therapy, or diagnostic testing.
  • Inform coaches, trainers, or other interested parties regarding the medical conditions of athletes.
  • Provide education and counseling on illness and injury prevention.

We asked some Sports Medicine Physicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 94% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 48% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 95% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 51% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 0% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 99% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Sports Medicine Physicians also develop and prescribe exercise programs such as off-season conditioning regimens. They may also attend games and competitions to provide evaluation and treatment of activity-related injuries or medical conditions.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Sports Medicine Physicians Advise coaches, trainers, or physical therapists on the proper use of exercises and other therapeutic techniques and alert them to potentially dangerous practices. They might also Participate in continuing education activities to improve and maintain knowledge and skills.

In addition, they Prescribe orthotics, prosthetics, and adaptive equipment.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Provide coaches and therapists with assistance in selecting and fitting protective equipment.

To some Sports Medicine Physicians, it is also their responsibility to Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury.


Working life

Working hours

More than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Sports Medicine Physician, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Do Sports Medicine Physicians work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
95%


Once a week
4%


Do Sports Medicine Physicians work outdoors?

Once a month
64%


Never
30%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Thinkers and The Helpers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Sports Medicine Physicians

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Related to Sports Medicine Physicians Job Description

Sports Medicine Physicians job description, what do Sports Medicine Physicians do, typical day for Sports Medicine Physicians, what is it like to work as a Sports Medicine Physician, how many hours do Sports Medicine Physicians work, day to day work of a Sports Medicine Physician

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/
http://www.abms.org/


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