How to Become an Equine Sports Medicine Doctor

Equine sports medicine doctors help treat injuries that keep althetic horses from performing at their peak.

Equine sports medicine doctors can perform emergency surgeries at elite racetracks, treat joint injuries on 4-H ponies or perform checkups on barrel racers in preparation for an event. There are literally thousands of opportunities for veterinarians who specialize in equine sports medicine, but the field requires a high level of expertise. Practitioners must be able to spot and treat the slightest injury or illness that may limit a horse's performance. Entering the field requires the same steps as becoming a general equine veterinarian, although an extra focus on areas particular to equine athletes, such as pulmonology and equine exercise physiology, will give you an edge in your future career.

Instructions

1. Focus on biology, math and general science in your early education, fields recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). The AAEP also suggests taking preveterinary courses in college and talking to your college adviser about designing an undergraduate course of study that will help you stand out in the highly competitive process of applying for veterinary school.

2. Attend one of the colleges or schools of veterinary medicine in the United States, Canada or the West Indies. Many of these schools, such as the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (www.tufts.edu), will have classes and courses of study devoted to equine sports medicine. The Tufts program includes classes in equine exercise physiology, research projects, a sports medicine elective and summer work in the school's lung and orthopedic laboratories. If your school does not have a program geared specifically toward equine sports medicine, try to select courses that follow a similar model.

3. Pursue a postgraduate internship or residency with a veterinary practice that specializes in sports medicine and rehabilitation. The American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation requires veterinarians seeking certification as equine sports medicine doctors to demonstrate that they have completed a residency; attended a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) postdoctoral graduate program; or have documented experience working in surgery, medicine or rehabilitation with a specific focus on equine sports medicine.

4. Publish a peer-reviewed manuscript in a veterinary journal. The American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation requires veterinarians seeking certification as equine sports medicine doctors to have been the first or senior author on such a study.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for internships and residencies that will provide opportunities to work at a racetrack, which will give you an advantage in your job search. The Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery Hospital in Texas, which employs veterinarians throughout the Southwest, requires applicants to have racetrack experience as a prerequisite for many of its jobs.

References

• Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine: Equine Sports Medicine
• American Association of Equine Practitioners: Discover a Career as an Equine Practitioner
• American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation: How to Become Certified
• United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics: Veterinarians

Resources

• Equine Sports Medicine: Careers
• VSMR Curriculum