{"id":6642,"date":"2016-01-31T01:18:54","date_gmt":"2016-01-31T00:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/?p=6642"},"modified":"2016-01-31T04:08:15","modified_gmt":"2016-01-31T03:08:15","slug":"football-medicine-strategies-return-to-play-conference-major-value-for-both-seasoned-sem-pros-and-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bjsm\/2016\/01\/31\/football-medicine-strategies-return-to-play-conference-major-value-for-both-seasoned-sem-pros-and-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Football Medicine Strategies: Return to Play Conference, major value for both seasoned SEM pros and students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Undergraduate perspective on Sports & Exercise Medicine<\/span> –\u00a0a BJSM blog<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Sean Carmody (@seancarmody1<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will they be able to get back playing?\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

..That is the question that the medical staff of football clubs attempt to answer most days of their working lives. The question may come from coaches, journalists, agents, supporters, club owners and most importantly, the affected players themselves. <\/em><\/p>\n

The theme of this year\u2019s Football Medicine Strategies Conference <\/em>\u00a0is centered on identifying the factors determining a footballer\u2019s successful Return to Play<\/em> following injury. As such, the conference will benefit sports medicine personnel who want to give more accurate responses to the perennial question regarding the readiness of a player to return to competition.<\/p>\n

\"RTP\"<\/p>\n

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London will once again play host to the Conference on the 9th to 11th of April. Last year over 2000 delegates attended from all over the world, representing some of the most famous clubs and influential organisations in football. The Conference is set to grow once again in 2016, maintaining its position as one of the world\u2019s leading sports medicine events.<\/p>\n

What can we expect from this year\u2019s conference?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since its first international event in 1992, Isokinetic have developed a reputation for presenting innovative and cutting-edge research at their annual conferences. Dr Alicia Tomkinson, a Clinical Fellow in Sports Medicine, believes one of the strengths of the Conference\u00a0is \u201cthe opportunity to gain a snapshot of how multidisciplinary management works in elite sport\u201d. This was particularly true of 2015\u2019s event which saw the medical departments of Europe\u2019s top clubs; Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus, Chelsea and Arsenal, describe in detail how they organise their sports medicine provision. Ted Caplan, a fourth year medical student at Bristol University singled that stream out for praise; \u201cIt was extremely inspiring to hear and learn from some of the world leaders in sport and exercise medicine\u201d. Another particular highlight from last year\u2019s conference was the constructive debate that took place between clinicians and researchers on the use of PRP during the rehabilitation process.<\/p>\n

Isokinetic\u2019s commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries is set to continue this year with the programme featuring topics such as the role of regenerative medicine in RTP and psychological considerations in RTP. The Science of Football Summit on the third day of the conference will focus on athletic development in youth footballers, an important, but often overlooked population. Once more, there are world class speakers scheduled for each day of the conference.<\/p>\n

What will students gain from attending?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Students can often feel intimidated by conference programmes, deeming that they lack the requisite knowledge to participate fully in the occasion. This certainly isn\u2019t the case with FMSC, where 27% of the delegates in 2015 were students.<\/p>\n

One of the key factors that attracts undergraduates to the Conference\u00a0is the ability to meet potential mentors, as Liam Newton, a recent graduate in physiotherapy reflected; \u201cThe most valuable aspect of the conference was to network with the biggest and best names in sports medicine. Everyone was extremely approachable and encouraging of students\u201d. Dr Liam West, who founded the Undergraduate Sport and Exercise Medicine Society (USEMS), agreed with that sentiment, \u00a0and emphasised how a chance meeting at the\u00a0Football Medicine Strategies Confrence\u00a0<\/em>\u201cmay help students take their first step into working within football medicine either on a medical elective or more permanent basis\u201d. Additionally, Dr West cites the unique learning opportunities, stating \u201cthe educational programme is unrivalled in terms of expertise and breadth of topics\u201d.<\/p>\n

Student Discount<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

After the impressive undergraduate turnout at last year\u2019s conference, USEMS have again teamed up with Isokinetic to provide a significant discount to students looking to attend. The discount includes both days (Saturday and Sunday) plus FREE Monday SUMMIT for \u00a3150 (instead of the full price of \u00a3390). To register at this discounted price email Alexia Sotiropoulou \u2013 a.sotiropoulou@isokinetic.com<\/u> referencing ‘USEMS’.<\/p>\n

To learn\u00a0more about the conference and to register:<\/strong><\/p>\n