Take a free class in management communication from MIT's Sloan School of Management to get a jumpstart on the skills you'll need in this career.

Take an online class in management communication. 

Enter your location at the top of this page to find opportunities at health organizations near you. Being involved at any level will help you figure out if this area is something you're interested in!

Find a volunteer position in health and medicine.

Read up on the courses, requirements, and timelines for getting into medical school. Get prepared early and better your chances of acceptance!

Learn what you can do to prepare for medical school.

Empathy is an integral part of our human nature. It is a skill ingrained in us, but it can also be learned and improved upon. Explore ways to develop your empathy and be more successful in life.

Watch a TED Talk about empathy.

Choose a few of these stories about mystery medical cases and how they were solved. Does assessing symptoms and doing research to figure out diagnoses seem like something you'd like to do?

Explore hard-to-solve medical cases.

Dive into this overview of a popular organizational philosophy and get started on your own system to up your productivity and start getting things done!

Practice getting organized!

Read what 6 sports physicians would recommend to people interested in getting into sports medicine.

Read advice from Sports Physicians about their field.

Look for sports medicine centers in your area and contact them for volunteer/intern opportunities. Learn more about what a sports medicine physician does.

Volunteer or intern at a sports medicine center.

Get inspired by sports medicine pioneer, Pat Croce's, infectious energy and tenacity. 

Watch a motivational speech.

What quality do great leaders share? Watch a management pro tell stories that show leadership in action, then think about how you can enact this kind of leadership in your own life.

Watch a TED Talk about what makes a great leader.

Sports Medicine Physicians

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent injuries that occur during sporting events, athletic training, and physical activities.

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Entrepreneur/Sports Team Executive/Author

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Physicians and Surgeons

Physicians and Surgeons, All Other

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners

Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures.

Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury.

Record athletes' medical care information, and maintain medical records.

Record athletes' medical histories, and perform physical examinations.

Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries.

Coordinate sports care activities with other experts, including specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, or coaches.

Provide education and counseling on illness and injury prevention.

Participate in continuing education activities to improve and maintain knowledge and skills.

Advise athletes, trainers, or coaches to alter or cease sports practices that are potentially harmful.

Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR

eClinicalWorks EHR software

Epic Systems

SpartaTrac

Microsoft Excel

Email software

Microsoft Office software

3D motion analysis software

Microsoft Word

Web browser software

<p>The first stop for the Canadian team is Philadelphia to interview Pat Croce, former president of the 76ers basketball team. The team then heads to Washington DC, where interview Pat Schroeder, former congresswoman of Colorado and Kevin Klose, president and CEO of NPR.</p>

Philadelphia - Washington, D.C.

[MUSIC] We'll tell you who we are, because then you'll know where we're coming from. Our aim is to meet people like yourself and just have our eyes open a little wider and be inspired. I just here people's stories. So yeah I just graduated from McGill. I was studying philosophy and the humanities. And then I will probably go to law school. It's a little bit scary, but mostly exciting, like maybe a little bit of both. >> Cool, scary is good. I believe that life should be a bold and daring adventure and that's what you're on. >> That's what it is, yeah so. >> Too many people just say what are they looking forward to, dying? No yeah that's it, this is it. Yeah, everyday, slap your hand together and say okay it's gonna be a great day. >> I'm actually from California, I came to McGill to study music. I was studying opera pretty seriously, and. >> Let me hear some. >> Do it. >> Yeah go ahead. >> [MUSIC] I haven't warmed up. >> That's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful that's wonderful. What are you going to do with it? >> Well, I started in that world, and I decided that I loved it so much, but as I started studying it more technically, getting to the higher and higher ranks it just didn't seem as fun anymore. I feel like maybe that's not exactly. I need to do some soul searching and that may not be- >> Well, your doing it. With what I call a Vision Quest. >> Yeah. >> Every leader needs a dream or a vision for anyone to follow their vision. Even yourself to follow that vision. And this, what you're doing right now, Roadtrip Nation, is a vision quest. >> Right. >> You go and ask the questions. What would I like to do if I knew I couldn't fail? What am I passionate about? What if? That's what's so cool about what you're doing. Man, that's great. >> So my name's Coby. I have one more year left. I'm going into my senior year. I sorta see people and try to frame myself in their positions. Say, is that possible? So and I realized that's not a good thing because I should be creating my own road. >> That's not true. No, that's not true. >> Not true? >> No. No. What happens is you will take your own road. Deviating from someone else's input. But no, you can follow a path already blazed which makes it easier. And then all of a sudden, cut off. You don't have to start down here and cut off. That makes it really rough. The learning curve's rougher. The weeds are higher. I mean, the forest is thicker. I'd rather let someone else blaze a trail and then all of a sudden [SOUND]. >> Tell us where you grew up. Tell us, where were you- >> I grew up, I was born in North Philadelphia, in a row home in North Philadelphia, just about two blocks from Connie Mack Stadium, where the Phillies played at the time. My father was an usher there. But he was also a milkman and a factory worker and a hard, hardworking Italian. And he drilled that work ethic into me as a very young kid. From growing up I had the discipline and the organization from my dad. And the dream genes from my mom, the positive attitude. Pat, you can do that. Yeah, that's [INAUDIBLE]. Cuz I believe I can do anything. I'm a big believer that if she can do it or you can do it, then I can do it. There's only these secrets that you have to do and one of them is you gotta do. You gotta take action. There's a Japanese proverb that I've always liked. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. I may have been a dreamer but I was doer as well. And so, I went to physical therapy school. I went really to college, really to play football. I always shot for the top, that was the only reason. I was going to play football to be a Philadelphia Eagle, professional football player. I wasn't fast enough. So, I took a year off college. I was a store detective. I was a bouncer. I was a laborer for a contract mason. I was, you name it, I did everything, any kind of hard work. It didn't matter. I could always make money. I never had a problem making money, cuz I started being a paperboy when I was 11, going door-to-door every day. So that work ethic was always drown into me. And I was doing volunteer in a hospital. My mom was a nurse and I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't know. I was on a kind of personal vision quest. But I loved health, I loved fitness. I was always a fitness fanatic. I like sports. What can I do and she exposed me to medicine in the physical therapy world were people are hurt. Blown out knees, bad back, sprained ankles and the people's whole attitude was down because they had some pain and injury. I understood that people got hurt, but it didn't have to be athletes but I could treat you like athletes. And it wasn't just a physical injury, It was working their mind as well. I opened the first sports medicine center in the United States, in a hospital setting, in 79. I opened my first free-standing center in 83, 83-84. And 10 years later I had 40 of them. Being a paperboy and growing up, some of those philosophies and principles I used as a paperboy. From putting the paper in a plastic bag or putting the paper inside the door, was customer service driven, so that the tips would be better. So but that came all the way, all the way till now. >> I wanna know what you were scared of when you were around age. >> I guess early on it would be fear of failure. It was never fear of embarrassment. I could easily do that. Fear of rejection. If you don't ask, the answer's always no. I would ask anything. Okay, so I get a no? So what. It doesn't bother me. And that's one of the reasons I got the Sixers cuz I asked the former owner 50 times. Persistence. I like to paralyze resistance with persistence. I just keep on coming. But I would say failure. Probably in the early steps you wouldn't do something. You'd take a stutter-step. What if I fail? Cuz fear can paralyze you. >> I'm really curious to know who you were sort of before you developed your philosophy. Like it's very clear that you have very defined ideas about goal setting and various ways to motivate yourself. But where did it stem from? >> I must have been interviewed a million times. I've never been asked that. Who was I before I developed these strategies? And I should tell you first of all that I developed them in the sense where I'm a sponge, I observe, I challenge, I err, I react, I create but I'm always trying to be better. There's one word in the Japanese language that means an entire philosophy called Kaizen, continuous improvement. And that's always been my philosophy is continuous improvement. Because if you're not getting better, you're getting worse. You know most people, oh, I wish. And they dream, and they. But they don't take that vision and break it down into time sensitive goals. And take those goals and break 'em down into task and take each task and break it down into action steps and then they don't take the first step, the action one. Whether it's picking up a phone or knocking on a door or asking the question. They don't do that. And that's the whole key. You gotta do something, but most people I will, I'll get to it. But let me tell you one thing, that my life proves that your IQ is not nearly as important as your, I will. Because there's a limit about of knowledge you can accumulate, but there's no limit, none what so ever, to your dreams and determination, none. You just have to want it, there's the will and the soul. How really bad do you wanna be the best, so you go on and commit to your will, if not, okay take a step back. Someone else will step in and you'll be following someone else's will. How bad do you want it? That's it. How bad do you want it? So to answer your question, I don't really know who I was before other than someone who want to strive to be the best. 

Interview

>> I wanna know what you were scared of when you were around our age? >> I guess early on it would be fear of failure. It was never fear of embarrassment. I could leastly do that. Fear of rejection. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. I would ask anything. Okay? So, I get no. So what? It doesn't bother me. And that's one of the reasons I got the cuz I asked the former owner 50 times. I like to paralyze resistance with persistence. I just keep on coming. But I would say failure. Probably, in the early steps you wouldn't do something. You take a stutter step, what if I fail? Cuz fear can paralyze you. 

Failure

What If I Fail?

So my name's Coby. I have one more year left. I'm going into my senior year. I sort of see people and try to frame myself in their position and say, is that possible? So, and I realize that's not a good thing because I should be creating my own road. >> That's not true. No, that's not true. >> Not true? >> No, no. What happens is, you will take your own road deviating from someone else's input, but no. You can follow a path already blazed, which makes it easier then all of a sudden cut off. You don't have to start down here and cut off, that makes it really rough. The learning curve's rougher, the weeds are higher. I mean the forest is thicker. I'd rather let someone else blaze a trail and then all of a sudden [SOUND]. 

Individualism

Creating Your Own Road

Tell us where you grew up. Tell us where >> I grew up. I was born in North Philadelphia in a row home in North Philadelphia. Just about two blocks from Connie Mack Stadium where the Phillies played at the time. My father was an usher there. But he was also a milk man and a factory worker and a hard, hard working Italian. And he drove that work ethic into me as a very young kid. From growing up I had the discipline and the organization from my dad and the dream genes from my mom. The positive attitude. Pat, you can do that. Yeah, that's cool, cuz I believe I can do anything. I'm a big believer that if she can do it, or you can do it, then I can do it. There's only these secrets that you have to do. And one of them, is you gotta do, you gotta take action. There's a Japanese proverb that I've always liked. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. I may have been a dreamer but I was a doer as well. And so I went to physical therapy school. I went really to college to become a, really to play football. I always shot for the top. That was the only reason. I was going to play football to be a Philadelphia Eagle professional football player. I wasn't fast enough, so I took a year off from college and I was store detective, and I was a bouncer, and I was a labor for contract Mason. You name it, I did everything, any kind of hard work job. Didn't matter. I could always make money. I never had a problem making money. As I started being a paper boy when I was 11, so that going door to door everyday so that work ethic was always ground into me. And I used to volunteer in a hospital, my mom was a nurse in there, I didn't know what I wanted do. I didn't know. I was a kind of personal vision quest. But I loved health, I loved fitness, I was always a fitness fanatic I like sports. What can I do? And then she exposed me to medicine in a physical therapy world, where people were hurt. Blown out knees, bad backs, sprained ankles, I mean people's whole attitude was down because they had some pain and injury. I understood that people got hurt, but it didn't have to be athletes, but I could treat you like athletes. And it wasn't just a physical injury, it was working their mind as well. I opened the first center, I opened the first sports medicine center in the United States in a hospital setting in 79. I opened my first free standing center in 83, 83-84 and 10 years later I had 40 of them. 

Family

Hard Work

Gotta Take Action

Being a paper boy and growing up, some of those philosophies and principles I used as a paper boy from putting the paper in a plastic bag or putting the paper inside the door was customer service driven so that the tips would be better. But that came all the way till now 

Values

Customer Service Driven

I'm really curious to know who you were sort of before you developed your philosophy. Like, it's very clear that you have very defined ideas about goal setting and various ways to motivate yourself, but where did that stem from? >> I must have been interviewed a million times. I've never been asked that. Who was I before I developed these strategies? And I should tell you first, Laura, that I've developed them in the sense where I'm a sponge. I observe, I challenge, I err, I react, I create, but I'm always trying to be better. There's one word in the Japanese language that means an entire philosophy, called kaizen, continuous improvement. And that's always been my philosophy, is continuous improvement. Because if you're not getting better, you're getting worse. And most people, I wish and they dream, but they don't take that vision and break it down into time sensitive goals. And take those goals and break them down into tasks. And take each task and break it down into action steps and then they don't take the first step the action was. It's picking up a phone, or knocking on a door or asking the question. They don't do that and that's the whole key is you gotta do something. But most people think, I will, I'll get to it. But let me tell you one thing that my life proves is that your IQ is not nearly as important as your I will. Cuz there's a limit to the amount of knowledge you can accumulate, but there's no limit, none whatsoever, to your dreams and your determination, none. You just gotta want it cuz the will of the soul, how really bad do you want to be the best, are you gonna commit to your will? If not, okay, take a step back, someone else will step in and you'll be following someone else's will, how bad do you want it? That's it. How bad do you want it? So to answer your question, I don't really know who I was before other than someone who wanted to strive to be the best. 

Goals

Continuous Improvement

And so I went to physical therapy school. I went really to college to become...really to play football. I always shot for the top. That was the only reason. I was gonna play football to be a Philadelphia Eagle. A professional football player. I wasn't fast enough. So I took a year off from college, and I was a store detective, and I was a bouncer, and I was a laborer for a contract mason. I was--you name it, I did everything. Any kind of hard work job, it didn't matter. I could always make money. I never had a problem making money. I was doing volunteer in a hospital. My mom was a nurse. And I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't know. I was on a kind of personal vision quest. But I loved health, I loved fitness. I was always a fitness fanatic. I like sports. What can I do? And then she exposed me to medicine in a physical therapy world where people were hurt. Opened the first sports medicine center in the United States in a hospital setting in '79. And ten years later, I had 40 of 'em. And that's the whole key of "Gotta do something." But most people: "I will. "I'll get to it." But let me tell you one thing that my life proves is that your IQ is not nearly as important as your "I will." 

Sports Medicine Physicians

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Sports Medicine Physicians Do

Other Job Titles Sports Medicine Physicians May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Sports Medicine Physicians

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Sports Medicine Physicians Do

Other Job Titles Sports Medicine Physicians May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Sports Medicine Physicians

Majors Related to Career

Related Careers

Related Leaders