The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has developed a sports medicine presence within its Department of Family and Community Medicine over the past four years. Dean Seehusen, MD, chair of the department, appointed Chris Ledford, MD, as the first sports medicine physician in nearly ten years. Ledford has since worked to establish a primary care sports medicine division and secure accreditation for a Sports Medicine Fellowship from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
This fellowship program is now unique among public medical schools in Georgia. Its aim is to improve training in sports and exercise medicine for primary care physicians so they can better serve patients with musculoskeletal needs.
As of July 2023, only one-third of Georgia counties had an orthopedic surgeon available. Two-thirds lacked any physician or provider with specific musculoskeletal training to evaluate and treat related injuries. This shortage means many patients must travel long distances for orthopedic care.
“Oftentimes, patients have to drive two or three counties away in order to receive any kind of orthopedic care. In preparing physicians who can do both primary care and provide specialty care in terms of primary care sports medicine, we hope we’ll work on fulfilling that need,” said Ledford, director of the Sports Medicine Division. “We are shared between our home department and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and we serve to be the focal point for primary care sports medicine between the athlete, the athletic trainer and the medical system.”
The fellowship accepts one fellow per academic year into a 12-month accredited program for those who have completed an ACGME-accredited residency in family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics. Graduates become eligible for additional certification in Primary Care Sports Medicine from their specialty board.
Fellows gain experience by assisting Augusta University’s Athletics training staff, serving as team physicians at several Richmond County high schools during athletic events such as football games and injury clinics throughout the school year. They also participate in ultrasound diagnostics and therapy opportunities, help staff medical tents at events like IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta and USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championship events, and work with emergency teams at local golf tournaments.
Seehusen expects that demand will support increasing the number of fellows by two due to ongoing shortages of musculoskeletal-trained physicians. The program has graduated three classes so far; a new fellow began this July.
“If you think about the age range where musculoskeletal injuries occur, sports injuries or non-sports injuries, it is from toddlers through geriatrics. So, to have somebody who can feel comfortable taking care of all those age ranges is ideal,” Seehusen said. “It’s important that this institution has a division of sports medicine because it really plants a flag that we are the regional expert in sports medicine care.”
Ledford emphasized that fellows’ training not only prepares them professionally but also benefits student-athletes under their care.
“They’re being treated by physicians who remember that they are student-athletes. They are students first, and we want to optimize, improve and return them to classroom performance before they return to athletic performance, but to have a physician that understands the stresses they have on their body and on their mind in athletic competition and in the college classroom, it’s beneficial,” Ledford said.
Seehusen noted further advantages for MCG students and community members:
“The education in musculoskeletal medicine has taken a huge leap forward, and if you think about the number of patients in primary care who have some sort of musculoskeletal complaint – knee, shoulder or low back pain – that’s one of the most common things that people come in to see a primary care physician,” Seehusen said. “We are now giving people a high level of education in those non-surgical orthopedic injuries. We’ve expanded the education for both medical students and primary care residents in this area that they’re going to see every day for the rest of their careers.”
