The patient load in this specialty comprises athletes as well as
active members of the general population, and encompasses all age
ranges and some special needs groups. It is rewarding to work with
patients who are generally healthy, motivated and positive. The
specialty is varied and interesting and combines work in the gym and
on the sports field with office consultancy, management, academic
work and teaching.
It is important to be enthusiastic about physical activities and to
be able to relate to sporting people. You also need to be able to
function as part of a team and work under pressure.
The specialty needs to focus on providing education for patients and
other practitioners with regard to the role of the sports physician
in the diagnosis and management of sports medicine conditions. It
will also be a challenge to continue to generate evidence-based
research in the field of sports medicine.
It is recommended that you talk to sports physicians, establish
contact with the Australasian College of Sports Physicians, attend
sports medicine conferences and demonstrate enthusiasm for the
specialty. Postgraduate academic training (both pre- and post-ACSP
training) is well regarded.
It is relatively easy to take time out, although sports medicine is
still very much a male-dominated profession. In New Zealand only two
of the 13 active sports physicians are women.
The impact of the specialty on family life will depend upon the type
of practice, although generally there is not much after-hours call.
For sports physicians with team attachments the hours of work can be
antisocial (since most games occur in the evenings and on weekends)
and there can be a significant amount of travel involved. Team
physicians are usually on call 24/7.
