Sports medicine training during pediatric residency
J. M. Stirling and G. L. Landry
Department of Pediatrics, Stritch College of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill, USA.
OBJECTIVES: To assess how sports medicine is taught within pediatric
residency programs and to determine the level of comfort that pediatric
graduates have in managing common sports injuries. INTERVENTION:
Investigator-prepared cross-sectional survey. METHOD: A survey
questionnaire was mailed to 203 pediatric chief residents of pediatric
residency programs in the United States. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS:
Seventy-three percent of the questionnaires were returned. Most pediatric
chief residents (73%) reported that their program provided lectures on
pediatric sports medicine topics. Lecture time devoted to sports medicine
topics was reported to be less than 6 hours for many residency programs
(83%). Instruction on the medical criteria for exclusion from sports was
provided to 64% of the chief residents. Of those residents who completed
the survey, 55% reported that clinical sports medicine training was
available in their programs. Rotations in adolescent medicine (28%),
pediatric orthopedics (26%), and ambulatory pediatrics (9%) provided the
bulk of clinical training. Clinical exposure to sports medicine was
reported to be less than 5 hours in a large number of programs (43%). Most
of the chief residents reported that they would refer six of eight
pediatric sports injuries for diagnosis and management. CONCLUSIONS: The
pediatric chief residents who completed the survey received limited
didactic instruction or clinical training in sports medicine. Because
pediatricians are primary care physicians for many children and adolescents
who participate in sports, pediatric residency directors should consider
integrating sports medicine instruction into their programs.
