How to Become a Sports Doctor

With more and more specialties to choose from it is becoming harder and harder for some medical students to decide what specific type of doctor they want to be. While there are a number of different options, more and more students are finding they want to learn how to become a sports doctor.

Things You'll Need

• Bachelor's Degree
• Medical Degree

Instructions

1. Obtain a bachelor's degree in biology or pre-med. The first step in becoming a sports doctor is to get your bachelor's degree. Most medical programs require you to get your degree in science or pre-med while a few request one specific degree in order to be admitted to their program. During your sophomore and junior year in college you should examine the different medical schools you are interested in attending and determine what you need to do to meet their admission requirements.

2. Participate in extracurricular activities focused on sports or health. While getting your undergraduate degree it can be extremely beneficial for you to obtain some experience working in sports or the health field. Serving as an athletic trainer for a college team or even working in the college health office can give you valuable experience that will help you once you get into med school and ultimately reach your residency.

3. Attend medical school. A sports doctor is still a doctor, thus the education requirement is still the same as any type of other doctor. This will provide you with a well-rounded overview of the entire human body, which is beneficial since as a sports doctor you athletes have injuries to all different areas of their body.

4. Select a specialty. As you proceed through medical school you will have the opportunity to select what you want to specialize in. While you may already know that you want to be a sports doctor there are actually several different specializations within the field such as cardiology, respiratory, or orthopedics. Choosing what you want to specialize in can help you in selecting residencies that are suited to your interest.

5. Complete your residency. The final stage in becoming a sports doctor is to complete your residency in sports medicine or the specialty area you have chosen. This provides you with the opportunity to actually put into practice what you've spent many years learning while getting to work with athletes.