978-1-4222-3268-2

For a non-surgeon, the next step is a one-to-two year fellowship in sports medicine. Surgeons can do the same, or they can take a fellowship that focuses on a particular body part. After completing the fellowship, a surgeon can operate on athletes. The primary care doctor, however, must also pass a certification exam. Primary-care doctors can still treat sports injuries even if they don’t take a sports medicine fellowship, but becoming certified as a sports medicine doctor tells both typical patients and college and pro teams that a doctor has special skills related to athletics. Sports Psychologist During college, the potential sports psychologist should take courses in psychology and physical education. Some schools offer a specific sports psychology bachelor’s degree, though it’s more common to get that training in master’s and doctorate programs. The graduate work typically lasts four to six years and can include internships. Students should also take classes that focus on counseling, the one-on-one work psychologists do with patients, as opposed to research. The counseling involves getting clinical experience, which means working with patients under the guidance of a licensed psychologist. Different states

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