Derrick Said:

what is a good major for becoming a sports medicine physician?

We Answered:

you get an undergrad in anything with the proper pre reqs inc bio, A and P, physics, calc, organic and reg chem (4 years). Get a 3.7/4 or better

take MCAT
apply to med school

If accepted go to medical school (4 years) -2 years of didactic instruction and 2 years as a med student in the hospital rotating through all of the specialties

Match into an orthopedic surgery or possibly a physical med/reb residency

Complete residency (4 yrs phy med or 7 yrs of Ortho surg (incl one year of reg surg)

then complete a 2-3 year fellowship in sports.

Richard Said:

Advice for becoming a sports medicine physician?

We Answered:

You do not concentrate in sports medicine until your internship after you finish medical school.

Earn a bachelor's degree in any academic subject at your state university. Include in your curriculum and pass with top grades the pre-med classes which are listed on medical school websites.

Pre-med is not an undergraduate major and if sports medicine is an undergraduate major, it is a program directed to becoming an athletic trainer, not to medical school admission.

Almost any state university will provide adequate pre-med education. In medical school you can ask your professors about residency programs which include sports medicine along with internal medicine or surgery.

You will need four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school and three to five years of residency.

Michael Said:

can you specialize to be a sports medicine physician after physical therapy school?

We Answered:

You cannot be a sports med physician by becoming a PT first. You'd have to go to medical school first.

If you want to be a PT who specializes in sports medicine, you can sit for the APTA sponsored board specialist exam by first collecting 2,000 hours in a sports med setting and then sitting for an exam. Obviously, this is something you complete after you complete your PT degree.

You don't have to have the sports med specialist credentialing to be a PT in a sports med setting, but it's such a competitive niche that I would recommend it.

Robin Said:

What is a suggested route to become a sports medicine physician?

We Answered:

I am a sports doctor. It takes many years beyond highschool to become a sports doctor. First you have to finish college (4 years), then go to medical school (4 years), then more training after that, which is called "residency." If you like surgery, you'll do 5 years of residency. If you don't like surgery, you'll only do 3 years of residency. After that, you do a "fellowship in sports medicine" which lasts about 1-2 years. That is where I am now. So, if you do everything non-stop, you can be a sports physician in as little as 13 years from today! Start studying, you have a lot of work to do!

Anthony Said:

How to become a sports medicine physician?

We Answered:

You have to take all of the prereq's for the medical school you are interested in. Generally, 8 hours of biology, 18 hours of chemistry (organic and inorganic), 8 hours of physics, 6 hours english, and a set amount of electives. As you can see, the science required is extensive, so it's easiest to major in biology. Also, most med school classes are biology...so it's best to "know the language" by majoring in it. Halfway through college, you need to take the MCAT and score high. Your GPA needs to be as close to a 4.0 as possible to stay competitive. Your last year of college (the June before) is when you apply online. First, you do a general application through AMCAS or AACOM (MD or DO programs) and then the schools send you secondary applications. Its an expensive process.

Prepare for your med school interviews, and do well. Be able to account for any C's you made, bad semesters, lack of clinical experience, etc.

Once in med school, it is 4 years. 2 years of classwork, 2 years rotations. Upon graduating, you will pick your residency program (or match to it, rather). This is where you will enter sports medicine. Now, sports medicine isn't actually a training program per say. You really enter orthopedics, and recieve a special certification for sports medicine. Many schools that offer the orthopedics residency have the certification for sports medicine. Your residency is up to 7 years. But, you are paid about $45,000 for it.