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Sports Medicine (Primary Care) Greenville - Curriculum

The program’s curriculum has been carefully created and organized to provide a diverse, well rounded and supervised experience for the Sports Medicine fellow to gain competence in the field of sports medicine. The program is part of a Multidisciplinary Musculoskeletal Institute that cares for a large number of patients in Upstate South Carolina.

Patients Served

  • Over 20,000 athletes
  • 26 high schools
  • 29 middle schools
  • Converse College
  • North Greenville University (NGU)
  • USA Karate
  • Greenville Drive Professional Baseball Club (Boston Red Sox-Class A Affiliate)
  • Greenville FC NPSL soccer
  • Swamp Rabbits hockey

Acute and Medical Illnesses to Diagnose and Manage

  • Sprains and strains
  • Contusions
  • Overuse injuries and fractures/dislocations
  • Injury prevention
  • Sports nutrition
  • Pre-participation evaluation
  • Care of the older/aging athlete
  • Special populations
  • Management of acute/chronic illness
  • Injury and injury rehabilitation

Clinical Experiences

  • Fellows’ Sports Medicine Continuity Clinic and Primary Care Sports Medicine Continuity Clinic
    The fellow develops a diagnosis and treatment plan along with arranging appropriate testing, rehabilitation and referrals when indicated. In this setting, the fellow will gain competency in communication with referring physicians, athletic trainers and other ancillary staff. The fellows address and promote physical fitness and wellness. They also educate patients on the benefits of exercise and provide exercise prescriptions.
  • Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and MSK Radiology
    All of our primary teaching sites have MSK ultrasound units available to our fellows and are taught both diagnostic and ultrasound guided injection techniques by our faculty. The fellow interprets plain films and reviews MRI’s, which are readily available in all clinical settings through a digital imaging system.
  • The fellow has direct clinical experience in covering high school, college, professional and community sporting events, which provides a wide range of injuries and illnesses.
  • The fellow gains experience in an acute injury clinic (Bump and Bruise Clinic) on Saturday’s during the fall season which ensures exposure to the acutely injured athlete to include but not limited to spine, knee, shoulder, foot/ankle and hand injuries. The fellows evaluate acute fractures and perform casting and splinting. The fellows utilize early rehabilitation principles. The fellows evaluate and manage concussions, including use and interpretation of computerized neuropsychological testing.
  • The fellow provides both medical and musculoskeletal care to athletes and students with clinical time spent in the student health center, high school, collegiate and professional training rooms. In all these settings the fellows gain experience functioning as a team physician with appropriate and meaningful responsibility. This setting also provides access to team sports, injuries and illnesses encountered in athletes.
  • The fellow cares for elite and recreational endurance athletes during the USA professional cycling championships and local triathlons, running events and cycling events (mass participation events).
  • From the longitudinal and rotation specific Orthopaedic Surgery experiences, the fellow participates in outpatient and inpatient management of surgical cases with fellowship trained Sports Medicine Orthopaedists.
  • Acute Injury Clinic
    The fellow spends time in the Steadman Hawkins Injury and Fracture Treatment clinic (SHIFT). This is a walk-in clinic held at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas Patewood location for patients with acute injuries and fractures. The volume for this clinic is approximately 15 patients per session (fellow will see six to eight patients) and provides a valuable learning experience in dealing with the acutely injured athlete, acute musculoskeletal injuries, evaluation and interpretation of radiographs, initial splinting and acute fracture management. The fellow will also educate and teach other primary care residents participating in this clinic.
  • Sporting Events, Mass Participation and Endurance Events
    The fellow provides care for acute injury and illness through coverage of local triathlons, cycling events and rodeos. The fellow has meaningful responsibility and is also required to prepare and plan staffing and organization of at least one mass participation event each year.
  • Special Populations
    The fellow works with special populations and gains experience in caring for these athletes through attending lectures, performing pre-participation physicals, and providing event coverage (Annual Goal Ball Tournament), Adaptive Sports Medicine through the Roger C. Peace Facility at Prisma Health and from our relationship with the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.
  • Human Anatomy and Bio-skills Lab
    This is a combined lab and anatomy experience with the Prisma Health’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery residency. This lab is held monthly and allows the fellow to learn about pertinent musculoskeletal anatomy. The experience is enhanced by interaction with the residents in Orthopaedics and the fellows in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. The fellow will generate a checklist and identify the anatomic structures commonly injured in the shoulder, knee, elbow and foot/ankle. The fellows also spend dedicated didactic time in the medical school anatomy lab performing dissections and practicing ultrasound guided injections.
  • Exercise Physiology
    This course occurs at Furman University in the Health and Exercise Science Department. Fellows are given goals and objectives for the course including clinical problem sets reviewed with Furman Exercise Physiologists and clinical laboratory time learning about the assessment of body composition and metabolic testing (VO2 max and lactate threshold).