Additional Information
Interested high school students should take English, languages (especially
Latin), the humanities, social studies and mathematics, in addition to biology,
chemistry and physics. Volunteer or get a summer job as a hospital orderly
or aid. Working in the office for a sports physician is a good idea, too.
Working as a student trainer or manager within your school's athletic program
provides helpful experience.
Sports physicians, like all physicians, need many years of education and
supervised practice to launch their careers. A sports doctor's education and
training begins with four years of college study in order to gain entry to
medical school. Then come four years of medical school and at least three
years of residency. A subspecialty requires an additional three or four years.
Most applicants to medical school have a bachelor's degree, and some have
an advanced degree.
All states and the District of Columbia require physicians to be licensed.
That means graduating from an accredited medical school, taking an exam, and
completing one to seven years of graduate medical training.
A certificate of added qualifications in sports medicine may be granted
if applicants meet multiple criteria and pass a certifying exam. This certification
is granted by the following boards: American Board of Family Practice, American
Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board
of Emergency Medicine.