Additional training in sports medicine is returning to the Medical College of Georgia through a reestablished one-year fellowship.
The sports medicine fellowship, directed by Dr. Chris Ledford, will take one fellow per year, beginning with this year.
“I think, coming out of residency, you’re equipped to take care of a variety of patient populations, but I wanted to kind of deepen my knowledge of orthopedic type injuries and complaints and better be able to take care of the athlete and muscle joint injuries,” said Dr. Bruce Freshley, this year’s fellow. “It really provides another diagnostic tool I’d like to add at the point of care. So, these patients can easily visualize kind of what’s going on in the shoulder or knee.”
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Ledford, who is certified in sports medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine, said physicians in a wide variety of specialties, including family medicine, emergency medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, are eligible to apply.
“Our goal is to help train physicians, any physician that we match to our program and train, to enhance or increase the skill set of the family physician in their office to take care of more musculoskeletal needs for patients, particularly in the scenario of a rural Georgia setting,” he said. “There are multiple counties in a row that do not have orthopedic surgery services, and you have to drive several hours to consult with any kind of orthopedic care.”
The additional training is designed to help treat all patients, but it can be particularly beneficial when dealing with athletes or any age and any level.
Freshley is the team physician for Josey High School. He partners with the school’s athletic trainer and will be on the sidelines during home football games.
“We also support the athletic department at Augusta University and that label of Sports Medicine is the athletic training staff the assigned staff that takes care of our student athletes.” Ledford said. “But we as primary care physicians give additional services to the athletic training staff so that they can take full spectrum care of their student athletes.”
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Freshley said one of the unique features of this fellowship is the intermingled relationship of orthopedics, primary care, pediatrics and sports medicine creating a hybrid environment.
This is one of two fellowships being offered at MCG. The second will focus on rural health to train primary care physicians to practice more independently in rural and underserved areas. Some of the most common patient complaints are for musculoskeletal medicine, dermatology and behavioral health.
“We believe this will make them a more independent, more standalone provider,” said Dr. Dean Seehusen, chair of the MCG Department of Family Medicine. “For example, if you’re in rural southwest Georgia and you’re told you need to see a dermatologist, you could be in for a long drive, a long wait for an appointment and multiple trips, depending on the issue. If your family physician feels comfortable taking care of that same issue right there, that saves time, money and frustration.”
The participants in this program will also get to go to rural areas to practice their skills.
That fellowship will take its first candidate next year.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
