A sports medicine physician is a physician with significant specialized training in both the treatment and prevention of illness and injury. The sports medicine physician helps patients maximize function and minimize disability and time away from sports, work, or school. He or she is a physician who:

• Is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Physical Medicine/ Rehabilitation.
• Has obtained one to two years of additional training in Sports Medicine through one of the accredited Fellowship (subspecialty) Programs in Sports Medicine.
• Has passed a national Sports Medicine certification examination allowing them to hold a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine.
• Further adds to their expertise through participation in continuing medical education activities and recertification via re-examination every ten years. This rigorous process was instituted to distinguish certified sports medicine physicians from other physicians without specialized training.
• Is a leader of the sports medicine team, which also may include specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, coaches, other personnel, and the athlete.

Sports Medicine is a recognized subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties.