Sports Medicine Fellowship

[Flynn]

Let me preface this statement with the idea that this is not factual in any way...just a hunch I have!!!

The first thing that comes to mind is "balance????" Whatever he decides to do will be time consuming and full time most likely. To have another "part time" job sounds suspicious to me like most docs who, "want to have it all."

I hope some people with actual experience write you back. I'm now curious and a bit skeptical that this is not just more time away from the family.

PS Not to imply that your hubby would do this on purpose but I too am married to an optimist who truly thinks he can be a husband, dad, do all the house projects, bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan!!! We've both come to realize that time together is a very valuable commodity -- one that will be at the top of his list when he is looking for jobs after training!!! Time as a family will come before his personal preference professionally, and before money. Just a few added thoughts. Good luck!

Welcome! You have found a place where others understand your feelings and experience. Post often!

As to the fellowship, I don't know about the sports medicine fellowship specifically. But, I've had conversations with DH about additional fellowship training and how it would fit into a career. Usually, it seems like once fellowship training is done, a doctor practices the speciality picked up in the fellowship or at least prefers to do that. (Someone who does a GI fellowship probably wouldn't want to do a regular IM clinic 3 days and week and GI two days a week. Probably). Maybe sports medicine would be different? It seems like that would be easier to integrate into clinics -- he's the guy that gets the sports medicine cases. But I think it would be harder to do as a hospitalist and would definitely start to look like an extra job on top of an already busy one. Just my two cents.

[SueC]

I know nothing about Sports Medicine, but would have to echo what Nellie said in that all the docs I know that did fellowship pretty much solely practice in that specialty. My hubby was med peds as well, and after he finishes pulm/critical care fellowship, that is all he will do. He is boarded in IM and thought about getting bc in peds, but decided not to (thank goodness!).
One thing that came to mind with sports medicine--that would be cool if he could be a team doc for a pro football team! Then again, that would probably include travel.
Welcome to the boards and good luck with whatever you guys decide!

[Meenah]

Sounds a liitle strange to me too, unless he is doing an Orthopedic residency, which is actually surgery.
Luanne

[Phoebe]

Hello and Welcome! I live in Indiana too. I also have a daughter name Ella (if I picked it out of your screen name correctly). My DH considered a sports medicine fellowship during his peds residency so much that he did an elective rotation. He really liked it and it fit with his training being a DO. He had planned on primary care and being a team doc on the side for local high schools etc. He always considered sports medicine a strong favorite, but secondary to his dislike for primary care and love for neonatology. So we didn't have to deal with that fellowship as he did a 3 year neonatology fellowship instead.

I don't blame you for wanting to stay where you are for a pending fellowship, especially since it is 18 to 18 months. There are great sports medicine fellowships in Michigan where my DH did his residency, but I doubt you would like to move there for a year. Hope everything works out for you. We are near Indianapolis. Are you close?

Jennifer

[Flynn]

Hello again. Not knowing anything about sports medicine fellowships myself, I became curious and asked around our doc (residents only) friends -- plus of course my DH.

If your DH wants to be a trainer for a high school or perhaps a Jr. college, that seems to be a possibility but professional and most likely college teams (unless you want to work for free) especially D1 teams are out. Most of those teams look for the Ortho. guys who did a Sports med. fellowsip too...

Also, your DH could be the cast and splint guy in family practice...but if it was anything out of the ordinary, an ortho. doc would need to see the patient anyway.

This info. is from a bunch of surgeons so take it for what it's worth!