LECOM/ Millcreek Community Hospital Sports Medicine Fellowship Program

Program Director: Patrick F. Leary, D.O., FAOASM
Telephone: (814)868-8208
Email: pleary@lecom.edu

Mission

The program goals for the Sports Medicine Fellowship at Millcreek Community Hospital are to refine the fellow's ability to critically evaluate an athletic injury through history, physical exam, differential diagnosis, and appropriate ordering and interpretation of x-rays, MRI, bone scan, etc. To refine the fellow's ability to develop treatment options with the understanding of surgical risks and benefits, physical therapy modalities and exercises. To appropriately apply these abilities in several environments including the office setting, the training room and at event coverage. To expose the fellow to the multidisciplinary aspect of caring for athletes with interaction and exposure to athletic trainers, physical therapists, primary care sports medicine specialists, sport psychologists, etc. To have the fellow become familiar with the sports medicine literature and to develop the ability to critically review it. To experience the process of producing a publishable quality research project. The lifelong athlete will be our focus. Special emphasis will be given to integrative techniques of OMM, rejuvenating injections, acupuncture, and diagnostic ultrasound. The AOA competencies will be followed and evaluated in the classroom, on the sideline and in the office.

Program Overview

The LECOM/Millcreek Community Hospital Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program's curriculum is broad-based and established on the guidelines set forth by the American Osteopathic Association Council on Postdoctoral Training. The Basic Standards for Training in Primary Care Osteopathic Sports Medicine is the foundation and reference for the program policies, curriculum, and standards. The fellowship is part of the Millcreek Health System and its premier LECOM Medically Integrated Wellness Center. The program has been designed to provide the required breadth of knowledge, while remaining flexible to accommodate the fellow's strengths and areas of growth with a strong foundation in osteopathic philosophy and principles. The program will enhance the hospital's existing residency training programs in orthopedic surgery, neuromuscular manual medicine, family practice, internal medicine, psychiatry, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, geriatrics, and ophthalmology. The fellows spend two half-days per week in their primary care discipline at one of the health systems clinics or primary care offices; at least two half-days per week in the Sports Medicine Clinic exclusively treating sports medicine patients referred to the clinic. This experience includes exposure to a wide variety of patients from pediatrics to geriatrics. The fellow will have the opportunity to rotate within specialty clinics such as Sports Medicine Orthopedics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Radiology, and OMT. They will have specific instruction in anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of exercise, nutritional principles relating to exercise, rehabilitation and prevention, psychology of exercise, performance and competition, pre-physical examinations, conditioning requirements and exercise physiology, special populations, comprehensive medical management for competitive and recreational physical activity, orthopedic injury, injury management, return to play considerations, OMT in sports, exercise prescriptions, team physician, event physician, traveling team physician, emergency care and resuscitation, ethics in sports, medical/legal issues, environmental/weather concerns, growth and development, pharmacology and ergogenics.

Fellowship Outline

1. Event Coverage: Coverage of sporting events is an integral part of the sports medicine program and provides an education laboratory where the fellow gains invaluable first-hand experience. The fellow will serve as team physician for Girard High School, providing event coverage, pre-participation physicals, training room triage and weekly treatment with follow up in the Sports Medicine Clinic. The fellows will have assignments at the undergraduate level with the Edinboro University Training Room and event coverage and provide coaches clinics, supervising on-site training staff as needed. The fellows will also provide event coverage and training room assignment with the community based semi-professional basketball team, the Erie Bayhawks. The fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in coverage for various community sporting events such as runs, walks, golf tournaments, and boxing matches.

2. Didactic/Education Program: Fellows will participate in a didactic lecture series, board review, journal club, radiology conferences, community education series, medical student and resident lecture series, and are encouraged to participate in research.

3. Research Requirement: Each fellow will be required to prepare a minimum of one scientific paper suitable for publication and presentation.

4. Rotations: The fellow will have the opportunity to rotate within specialty clinics such as Sports Medicine Orthopedics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Radiology, and OMT. They will have specific instruction in anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of exercise, nutritional principles relating to exercise, rehabilitation and prevention, psychology of exercise, performance and competition, pre-physical examinations, conditioning requirements and exercise physiology, special populations, comprehensive medical management for competitive and recreational physical activity, orthopedic injury, injury management, return to play considerations, OMT in sports, exercise prescriptions, team physician, event physician, traveling team physician, emergency care and resuscitation, ethics in sports, medical/legal issues, environmental/weather concerns, growth and development, pharmacology and ergogenics.

5. Qualifications and Responsibilities of the Fellow: Qualified candidates must have graduated from an AOA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine. Have satisfactorily completed an AOA-approved residency training program and/or AOA certification in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Occupational-Preventive Medicine, or Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Candidates are required to complete the MCH Residency/Fellowship application with all supporting documentation and letters of recommendation. This can be found on the hospital website under the Medical Education/Residency Application link. www.millcreekcommunityhospital.com/meded_residencyapp.php The fellow will have active involvement in teaching of students, interns, and residents. The fellow must participate in research and scholarly activity as outlined in the residency standards. Being appropriately licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and meeting all of the pre-employment health screen requirements of the institution are a requirement.

The LECOM/Millcreek Community Hospital Sports Medicine Fellowship Program is anticipating accreditation approval for the July 1, 2009 Academic Training year from the American Osteopathic Association.

For further information please contact:

Marilyn Tracy,
Medical Education Coordinator
Medical Education
Millcreek Community Hospital
5515 Peach Street
Erie, PA 16509
(814) 868-8217
mchmeded@mch1.org