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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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