By Thomas Harte
An “Introduction to Sports Injuries Management” is a one-day course run by the Royal College of Surgeons (England). It was held on the 5th of December 2013 and cost £150.
The Royal College of Surgeons state the aim of the course is to provide “an introductory overview of the diagnosis, predisposing factors, mechanisms and treatment options, including surgical techniques, of commonly encountered injuries sustained playing sport.”
The course Director is Mr Mike Carmont, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon and President of the British Orthopaedic Sports Trauma and Arthroscopy Association.
Who is the course’s target audience?
Primarily: junior doctors, including sports exercise medicine, emergency medicine, rheumatology, orthopaedic and general surgical trainees.
Why did you attend it?
As a core surgical trainee with an interest in Trauma & Orthopaedics I was very keen to improve my clinical knowledge of examining and treating sports injuries.
Working in a central London hospital surrounded by a large student population, I often find myself in A&E struggling with soft tissue injuries, a topic which is often over looked at medical school.
As well as an aspiring “Orthopod”, I am also keen to pursue a career in pitch side medicine and gain further experience within this field.
What was your experience of the course?
Overall it was a fantastic day and extremely useful.
I was pleasantly surprised by the course program, as from the RCS website my initial expectation was that the course would be “Orthopaedic heavy”. However, while there was excellent Orthopaedic teaching the program was extremely diverse and well balanced; instructors covered a broad spectrum of sports injuries from maxillofacial to exercise related collapse.
Highlights included a talk on Head Injuries by Dr Simon Kemp, Head of Sports Medicine at the Rugby Football Union.
The Faculty created an extremely relaxed and open environment, providing plenty of opportunity for open discussion and questions.
Would you recommend the course to others?
Definitely. This course offers a fantastic introduction to the management of sports injuries and is relevant for any doctor interested in pitch side medicine or a future in A&E, General Practice, Orthopaedics or Surgery.
I felt that the course offered great value for money and, being hosted by the RCS, there was also a great lunch.
Further Information:
Competing Interests: None Declared
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Thomas Harte is a Core Surgical Trainee in Trauma and Orthopaedics University College Hospital, London, UK