Sports Medicine Fellowship (Primary Care) Columbia - Alumni
Recent program fellows
Kris is now faculty at Lee’s Summit Family Medicine Residency program and is starting his career in academic medicine. Kris says, “Teaching is a cornerstone of our Prisma Health-University of South Carolina fellowship program. There were so many opportunities to teach both physician and other professionals which meant a lot to me as a future academic physician.”
Over the course of fellowship, Kris noted that “I became more and more what I thought of when I think of what a ‘team doc’ should be. I gained confidence in procedural skills, image interpretation and multidisciplinary coordination. As an allopathically trained physician I was introduced to OMT and its application and through the efforts of our core faculty was able to develop those skills to be used in my everyday practice.”
Kris identified the people in and associated with the fellowship program as one of the highlights of his time here as a sports medicine fellow: “From start to finish you’ll be working alongside D1 athletic trainers, operative and non-operative practitioners and all the wonderful people in between that will make your experience the best it could possibly be.”
As a fellow, Kris valued the autonomy he was granted in the care of student-athletes: “…having the autonomy to make clinical decisions on the sideline and clinic in a D1 setting was unparalleled, you are right there, reins in hand making decisions as if you would outside of a fellowship environment.”
Kris would tell future fellows: “With the training here you will walk away with a strong foundation, tons of new friends from a thousand different backgrounds, and the experience you need to begin your career!”
After fellowship, I joined my husband at the private practice that we opened in Wilmington, NC. Here, we provide both primary care and sports medicine services to our community with the goal of building a clinic for athletes of all types to come to for all their primary care sports medicine needs under one roof. The Prisma Health-USC fellowship provided me with diverse training in multiple settings along with high-level athlete care that helped establish the foundation needed to provide these services to my community no matter their level of competition or age. The teaching opportunities, education and sports coverage at this program are top notch and have helped ensure my comfort level continuing to teach and provide coverage in the next steps of my career.
“I was initially hesitant to leave my home base in the northeast for fellowship training, but after learning about the unique opportunities at Prisma Health/USC on interview day, I decided to take a chance on something different. I'm so glad I did!
This program provides exposure to the full breadth of sports medicine in a multitude of practice settings and truly prepares the fellows to be full-scope team physicians upon graduation. The faculty are excellent clinically and are also incredible teachers. Throughout the year, I developed more and more confidence in my ability to interpret advanced imaging and perform various injections. Perhaps even more importantly, I am leaving with a very strong foundation in my clinical skills to care for patients in the clinic and on the sideline.
There were ample opportunities to provide teaching, something I was specifically looking for, attend various sports medicine conferences and learn from non-physicians in the field as well. Finally, the exposure and autonomy granted to the fellows on the sideline at a high-level DI setting is second to none. Not many fellows can say they were able to travel to a college football bowl game, NCAA Final Four and baseball Super Regional!
Simply put, this past year was an unforgettable experience and surpassed my expectations!”
“I'm very glad that I matched at Prisma Health/University of South Carolina for my sports medicine fellowship!
The faculty quickly start you off with performing injections in their clinics, and by the end of the year you feel comfortable injecting any joint you can find with an ultrasound. I really enjoyed all the teaching opportunities that were available to us, from teaching residents in our own musculoskeletal clinic to giving lectures to athletic training students. In addition, there is plenty of high-level division one sports coverage where you see and evaluate the athletes on the sidelines and then you can follow up with them in the student health clinic. Overall, the fellowship prepares you for any type of career in sports medicine that you could imagine.
I am very thankful for the training I received here!”
"I couldn't be happier with my selection of Prisma Health/University of South Carolina for my sports medicine fellowship training. The program's support of its fellows and the faculty's intrinsic desire to teach has stood out since day one. The resources and caliber of both the faculty and the facilities gives me the confidence to take on the next step of independence and autonomy out in practice. Not only do I feel prepared to address musculoskeletal complaints, but I also have the confidence to read imaging, perform ultrasound-guided procedures, and form treatment plans unique to each patient.
"Additionally, the emphasis on performing the duties of a team physician and the plethora of interactions this program provides with the varying teams and athletic trainers throughout the university give me certainty that I can fulfill the role of team physician wherever I go next. The team-oriented approach of UofSC athletics is something I can apply to both my teams and clinics in practice. I am very thankful to have been a Gamecock for this past year."
"When I was looking at fellowships, I didn’t imagine getting this great of an experience. Studying sports medicine at Prisma Health/UofSC was a privilege that prepared me very well for the future. The faculty are true experts in the field and were invested in our education.
"At UofSC, you are first call for a high-level Division I university, and it’s a true hands-on experience because there is no other fellowships or residents involved. You are challenged to master the material by being involved in multiple teaching opportunities, and with the combination of clinical experience the education is unbeatable.
"I know this year has given me a solid foundation that I will build upon in my career as an attending. Prisma Health/UofSC has given me an experience and education that far exceeds what other programs are doing. I’m proud to say I did my fellowship at UofSC."
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have trained at University of South Carolina. I was looking for a busy program that allowed for Division I sports coverage and comprehensive ultrasound training. The program has exceeded my expectations.
“I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best sports medicine physicians in the country. The faculty is extremely invested in our education and provide a comfortable amount of autonomy, which progresses throughout the year. The ultrasound training is very hands-on and is combined with formal didactic sessions, which is extremely effective.
“In addition, we are given the opportunity to travel for away games, which is a huge bonus that separates our program from many others. As fellows we are first call for the athletic trainers, which allows us to grow as sports medicine physicians at a high level. It was the experience of a lifetime and I feel completely prepared to begin my career.”
“I chose fellowship at Prisma Health/UofSC School of Medicine for the variety and quality of clinical experiences, the supportive faculty, and the opportunity to provide care in a Division I collegiate setting.
“The fellowship at UofSC provided me with the variety to explore all the different areas of sports medicine. Throughout the year, I was able to develop the skills and autonomy needed to succeed as I began to shape my own career path in the field of primary care sports medicine. I am so grateful for the experiences and the people I met along the way during my time at USC.”
“I am currently working for Sanford Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. I am a team physician for North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, and multiple surrounding high schools. I am the head team physician for the Fargo Force hockey team and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team. I also am the head of orthobiologics for the Fargo Campus of Sanford Health, as well as a sub-investigator on multiple orthobiologic research studies.
“My fellowship at UofSC prepared me for my current position in many ways. As team physician for approximately half of the student athletes, I experienced seeing athletes in sports that I had never covered before, like equestrian and hockey, which has helped me to cover hockey even though I had never seen a hockey athlete prior to starting my career. I was also able to learn to care for athletes in clinics, at the athletic training room and on the field. While working with multiple attendings I was able to learn about orthobiologics and how they can best be used with patients. I love and feel comfortable doing almost all injections under ultrasound as we get extensive training in this area.”
“Comprehensive Division I coverage with first call for all sports (shared with co-fellow), sideline football coverage, and home and away basketball coverage initially drew me to the program. The longitudinal Student Health Sports Medicine experience is a wonderful learning opportunity that cemented my interest in the program. These opportunities were a way for me to feel like I was giving back as an alumnus of USC. The program is rounded out by invested faculty, dedicated and protected educational opportunities, a robust didactic curriculum, and multiple opportunities to teach. While not currently practicing sports medicine, I do feel well-prepared based on my training at Prisma Health/UofSC and hope to begin using these skills in the near future.”
Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician
NorthShore Orthopedic and Spine Institute, northwest suburbs of Chicago
“I was initially drawn to the sports medicine fellowship with the University of South Carolina due to the diverse coverage opportunities and ability to be “first call” for sports medicine issues at a large Division I university. I was drawn to the ability to cover a high school football game on Friday, and a collegiate football, soccer, or basketball game over the weekend. I thought that these opportunities would prepare me for a successful career in sports medicine. The autonomy that was provided by the attending physicians allowed for ample learning and confidence to make the decisions that I have to make on a daily basis in my current position.”