Sports Medicine Fellowship

OVERVIEW

Program Director: Ryan Nussbaum, DO
Current Fellow: Sharnee Mead, DO, and Eric Super, MD

ACGME #3424134013

This 1-year fellowship develops leaders in the field of sports medicine with an emphasis in clinical care, team coverage, and medical education. We aim for trainees to thrive in a supportive and academically enriched environment. Ultimately, fellows from this program will lead in their community by providing top level evidence-based sports medicine and musculoskeletal care. 


TRAINING LOCATIONS

Clinical training is based at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. The centers are also training locations for the city's professional sports teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers, respectively. Other outpatient locations include PM&R outpatient clinics and collegiate and high school athletic programs.

The PM&R operations at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex include three exam rooms conveniently located side-by-side with our colleagues in Orthopaedic Surgery, providing easy access for collaboration and referrals. An imaging suite is located within the clinic area for same day testing if needed. Furthermore, UPMC Centers for Rehab Services have a facility on the second floor, allowing patients to move between a physician office, imaging center, and physical therapy - all under one roof. This one-stop-shop environment with easy transitions between services has been embraced by patients, and teamwork within the facility is unique and trend-setting.

The UPMC Rooney Sports Complex is one of the leading sports medicine facilities in the United States. This state-of-the-art facility is on the cutting edge of research and treatment. Fellows will train in outpatient clinics, where PM&R physicians partner with other physician specialists (including radiology, orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine, primary care, and neuropsychology), and work at the same location as physical therapy specialists (including spine, sports, and athletic trainers), and concussion specialists.


EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The rotation schedule for this program is dependent on scheduled specialty clinics and may follow the below model.

Model Rotation Schedule
Day/Time
Rotation Site
Length of Rotation
Monday
AM – PM
PMR Sports Medicine
12 months
Tuesday
AM
Orthopaedics
Hand/Wrist
Foot/Ankle
Sports Medicine
3 months
PM (early)
PMR Outpatient
1 month
Fluoroscopically-Guided Injections
11 months
PM (late)
High School Athletics
12 months
Wednesday
AM
Didactics
12 months
PM
PMR MSK Ultrasound/Procedures
12 months
Thursday
AM
PMR Sports Ultrasound
12 months
PM (early)
PMR Sports Ultrasound
12 months
PM (late)
College Athletics
12 months
Friday
AM
Primary Care Sports Medicine
12 months
PM
PMR Outpatient Sports Medicine
12 months

Core Competencies

  • Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: Weekly didactics with a fellowship machine for the fellow to carry. Exposure to advanced ultrasound-guided procedures as well as to diagnostic ultrasound.
  • Training Room & Sideline: Weekly collegiate and high school training room coverage, including Division 1 athletics. Sideline coverage experiences of various sports (exposure volume customizable).
  • Interventional Spine Procedures: Training in fluoroscopically-guided procedures (exposure volume customizable).
  • Academic Skill Development: Includes teaching opportunities for residents and medical students, conference presentations, and manuscript writing (from a case report to hypothesis-driven study).

Specialty elective areas:

  • Needle electromyography and nerve conduction studies
  • Musculoskeletal research

 

Download the program brochure for more information.