Primary Care Sports Medicine Program Fellowship Training

The primary care sports medicine experience is divided between Dr. Christopher McGrew (Program Director) and the Assistant Program Director throughout the year. Three-five half-days of clinic per week are spent with Dr. Christopher McGrew each week, while two-three half-days per week are spent with Associate Program Director, depending on the sports medicine longitudinal experiences available. Clinics are held at the University of New Mexico various clinics involving both acute and chronic care of musculoskeletal injuries as well as medical issues in athletes.

Training room and game coverage will also be supervised throughout the year at the high school and collegiate levels with primary care and orthopaedic attendings. Coverage sports usually include football, soccer, basketball, and volleyball during the year. Arrangements may be made for coverage of sports of particular interest to the fellow as well. Home and away game coverage will vary depending on the school and sport. Fellow will work closely with the athletic training staff to triage orthopaedic injuries and provide medical coverage for the athletes at the various levels of competition. 

Injury clinics will be held on Sunday afternoons following football games during the fall. 

The eighty hour work week limit will be enforced throughout the year.

• Dedicated elective time in musculoskeletal and/or sports medicine (within home program and as an away elective, if desired)
• Longitudinal team physician experience with an area high school team
• Medical coverage of at least one mass participation sporting event
• Presentation of at least two of the Albuquerque Community Sports Medicine Conferences
• Critical appraisal and presentation of at least one journal club article related to sports medicine
• Design and completion of a scholarly project relevant to sports medicine (original research, clinical quality improvement project, educational quality improvement project, case podium presentation, case poster presentation, written case report, or systematic review article) and presentation of the project within the residency and/or other appropriate local, regional or national forum
• Attendance to at one national sports medicine CME conference such as AMSSM, ACSM (regional or national), or an Advanced Team Physician Course

The fellowship will provide the training needed to diagnose and manage injuries and illnesses related to sports and exercise. Fellows will gain expertise in injury prevention, pre-participation evaluation, return-to-play criteria, management of acute and chronic illness or injury, and rehabilitation. Fellows will function as a team physician and serve both individual patients and the community through the promotion of physical fitness and wellness

• Tentative weekly schedule

Fellow attends various sports medicine family medicine clinics throughout the year to experience Injections/Aspiration of joints and bursae, trigger finger injections, Morton’s Neuroma injections; plantar fascia injections; lateral epicondyle injections; aspiration of ganglion cysts; myofascial trigger point injections; skin biopsy and laceration repair.

Fellow attends various specialties of orthopaedics throughout the year to include: sports medicine, hand, foot and ankle, hip, shoulder and pediatrics.

Fellow assist in patient care in the clinics and observe in the orthopedic outpatient operating room. Common procedures include joint injection and aspiration, cast application and removal, and compartment pressure testing.

Fellow is also able to spend time in the cast room throughout the year. Fluoroscopy is available at various University of New Mexico clinic cast rooms for post-reduction views and to aid with difficult injections.

Fellow cares for athletes of all levels, high school through professional teams in the University of New Mexico training rooms throughout the year. Essential skills will be emphasized, including the team approach to athletic care which involves good communication between physicians, trainers, parents and family, and coaches.

Fellow will have access to the Human Performance Laboratory to assist with exercise testing VO2 max testing and body composition evaluation and exercise testing in healthy adults for purposes of exercise prescription and performance evaluation.

Fellows may rotate through Sports Physical Therapy during the year as well. Introduction to modalities, stretching and strengthening programs, home exercise programs, and other therapies may be available.

The sports physical therapy fellow will also assist in game coverage and outreach programs with the primary care sports medicine fellow throughout the year.

Fellows will rotate through Pediatric Sports Medicine. Common procedures include joint injection and aspiration, cast application and removal, and compartment pressure testing.

Radiograph interpretations are emphasized throughout the year.

Rheumatology provides instruction on ultrasound guided injections emphasized throughout the year.

Fellow attends monthly conferences and weekly journal clubs throughout the year. The Sports Medicine Conferences are the second Wednesday of each month; Sports Medicine Orthopedic journal club three mornings a month and New Mexico Orthopedic Association journal club once a month which cover essential medical and orthopaedic topics in sports medicine. Fellows may also attend weekly noon conferences in their primary care specialty. Fellow is encouraged to attend didactic lectures, family medicine and/or orthopedic resident school presentations of interest and listen to sports medicine Podcasts.

Fellows cover various NCAA tournaments and events throughout the year. Track meets and other local distance events are available for coverage as well.

Fellows will present lectures throughout the year to various audiences, including primary care physicians and staff, sports medicine attendings, and the community. Fellows are also strongly encouraged to present at the national level, including the annual AMSSM.

Fellow is required to submit one case abstract to AMSSM. Opportunities to write and publish are often available during the fellowship year.

There is no formal call for fellows, but they should always be available to attendings and athletic trainers. The 80 hour work week and mandatory 24 hour "off-call" periods will be strictly enforced by the program director.

There are currently no inpatient requirements during the fellowship.

Fellows are required to have current ACLS/BCLS certification before fellowship begins.

Fellows may sit for the CAQ examination at the conclusion of the fellowship year if they are in good standing. Details of applying for the CAQ may be reviewed here.

The sports medicine fellow will receive the performance evaluations required by his/her primary care sports medicine fellowship. Evaluations will include assessment of the fellow’s competency in patient care, medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice as these relate to musculoskeletal and sports medicine.

The fellow will log all appropriate musculoskeletal and sports medicine diagnoses he/she is exposed to, as well as all musculoskeletal and sports medicine procedures he/she observes, assists with, or performs under appropriate supervision by faculty. The procedure log will be evaluated on a quarterly basis by the primary care sports medicine Program Director.