A sports medicine physician is an MD or DO who finishes four years of medical school, a three- or four-year residency in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine or PM&R, then a 12-month sports medicine fellowship and board certification. Orthopedic surgeons reach the same field through a five-year residency and a one-year orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship.
Counted from the first day of college, that is roughly 12 to 14 years of training. The first half looks like any other route into medicine, which our guide to how to become a doctor in the United States covers step by step. This page focuses on the part that is specific to sports medicine: which residency to pick, what the fellowship requires, how board certification works on each route, and what the job pays.
What a Sports Medicine Physician Does
Sports medicine doctors treat injuries and medical problems in people who exercise, from high school athletes and weekend runners to professional teams and older adults trying to stay active. The ACGME sports medicine program requirements describe the field as prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of injuries from sports and exercise, plus the illnesses that affect health and physical performance. The same document says these fellowships embrace the idea that “exercise is medicine.”
In practice, a fellowship-trained sports medicine physician handles:
- Sprains, strains, tendon problems, stress fractures and overuse injuries
- Concussion evaluation and return-to-play decisions
- Sports cardiology questions, such as screening athletes and managing heart conditions in people who train
- Diagnostic ultrasound of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot, and ultrasound-guided injections
- Medical conditions that complicate exercise, including asthma, diabetes, skin infections and rheumatologic disease
- Sideline and event coverage as a team physician, alongside certified athletic trainers
That last point matters for understanding the team around these doctors. Athletic trainers, physical therapists and sports medicine physicians work side by side, but they are three different careers with different training. If you are weighing the non-physician options, see our breakdown of athletic trainer salary and training.
Is a Sports Medicine Physician a Surgeon?
Usually not. Most sports medicine physicians come from primary care specialties and treat injuries without surgery: diagnosis, imaging, injections, bracing, rehab plans and return-to-play clearance. When an athlete needs an ACL reconstruction or a shoulder repair, they refer to an orthopaedic surgeon who has done a sports medicine fellowship. Both are called sports medicine doctors, and they work closely together, but the training paths split at residency.
The Two Routes Into Sports Medicine
| Primary care sports medicine | Orthopaedic sports medicine | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | MD or DO | MD or DO |
| Residency | Family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics or emergency medicine (36 months; some EM programs 48), or PM&R (48 months including a first clinical year) | Orthopaedic surgery (five years, including a PGY-1 year) |
| Fellowship | Sports medicine, 12 months, ACGME-accredited | Orthopaedic sports medicine, 12 months, ACGME-accredited |
| Board certification | Primary board first, then sports medicine subspecialty (ABFM CAQ, or ABIM, ABEM, ABP or ABPMR certificate) | ABOS general certification, then the Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine |
| Main work | Nonoperative care, concussion, ultrasound, team physician duties | Operative and nonoperative care, including surgery on injured joints |
| Years after high school | About 12 (13 via PM&R) | About 14 |
The residency lengths come from each specialty’s 2026 ACGME program requirements: family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics are 36 months, emergency medicine is configured in 36- or 48-month formats, and PM&R runs 36 months after a separate first year or as a 48-month program.
Step-by-Step Path to Becoming a Sports Medicine Physician
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete Pre-Med Courses
Any major works if you finish the prerequisite sciences. Exercise science and kinesiology are popular with future sports medicine doctors, but medical schools do not require them. Build clinical hours, research or service, and real exposure to patients during these four years.
Step 2: Take the MCAT and Apply to MD or DO Programs
Both MD and DO graduates train in sports medicine. Osteopathic graduates have one extra option: the ACGME lists osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine among the residencies that feed sports medicine fellowships. Our comparison of MD vs DO differences explains how the two degrees differ for admissions and residency.
Step 3: Finish Four Years of Medical School and Licensing Exams
Medical school takes four years: two mostly classroom years, then clinical rotations. Licensing exams run alongside it. MD students take the three-step USMLE, and DO students take the three-level COMLEX-USA series, with Level 3 taken during residency. Use your fourth-year electives to rotate in sports medicine or orthopaedics and to meet faculty who can write letters.
Step 4: Match Into a Residency That Leads to Sports Medicine
This is the decision that sets your route. Under the ACGME requirements, fellows should have completed residency in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine, pediatrics or physical medicine and rehabilitation before starting a primary care sports medicine fellowship. Family medicine is a common lead-in, and our guide to becoming a family medicine physician covers that residency in detail.
If rehabilitation and the spine interest you, the physiatrist (PM&R) path is another strong lead-in. Emergency physicians who like sideline work also enter the field; see what an emergency medicine doctor does.
If you want to operate, apply to orthopaedic surgery instead. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery requires five years of accredited residency, one of them a PGY-1 year with at least six months of non-orthopaedic surgical rotations, and no one may graduate before 60 months of training. Our full guide to becoming an orthopedic surgeon walks through that residency.
Step 5: Complete a Sports Medicine Fellowship
Both fellowships last 12 months under the 2026 ACGME requirements. A medical fellowship is subspecialty training after residency. Strong applicants build their case during residency with musculoskeletal rotations, event coverage and letters from sports medicine faculty, much as they did for the ERAS residency application.
On the primary care side, the ACGME requires each fellow to:
- Function as a team physician and manage patients in the training room
- Help plan and run the medical care for at least one mass-participation sports event
- Show competence in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound and ultrasound-guided procedures
- Work in a community sports medicine network with parents, coaches and athletic trainers
- Train alongside certified athletic trainers, who must be part of the program’s team
The orthopaedic sports medicine requirements also set a 12-month program, built on top of the surgical skills from orthopaedic residency.
Step 6: Earn Board Certification
Certification happens in two layers on both routes: first your primary specialty, then the sports medicine subspecialty. The ABMS list of member board certificates shows sports medicine offered by five boards: emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Orthopaedic sports medicine is a separate certificate from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
For family physicians, the ABFM Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine requires you to keep your family medicine certification current and finish at least 12 months of full-time training in an ACGME-accredited sports medicine fellowship. ABFM develops this certification in conjunction with the boards of emergency medicine, pediatrics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, so the credential recognizes the same fellowship training across those specialties.
For orthopaedic surgeons, the ABOS sports medicine rules (updated March 16, 2026) require one full year in an accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship and a patient list of operative and nonoperative sports medicine procedures from 12 consecutive months within the 24 months before the application deadline. Surgeons who have passed ABOS Part I can sit for the subspecialty exam, but the certificate is awarded only after they pass the Part II oral exam and are board certified in orthopaedic surgery.
Step 7: Get a State License and Start Practice
Every physician needs a full medical license from the state board where they practice, and state boards set their own rules on exam passage and the amount of residency training required. Sports medicine physicians then work in hospital systems, private orthopaedic or primary care groups, university athletic departments, and team medicine programs, often combining clinic days with event and sideline coverage.
Sports Medicine Physician Training Timeline
| Stage | Primary care route | Orthopaedic route |
|---|---|---|
| College | 4 years | 4 years |
| Medical school | 4 years | 4 years |
| Residency | 3 years (4 for PM&R or 48-month EM) | 5 years |
| Sports medicine fellowship | 1 year | 1 year |
| Total after high school | 12 to 13 years | 14 years |
A gap year, research year or extended residency adds time. On the orthopaedic side, ABOS lets candidates who have passed Part I take the sports medicine exam in the same year they complete fellowship, but the Part II oral board comes later, after the surgeon collects a case list in practice.
Sports Medicine Physician Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate wage line for sports medicine physicians, so the closest figures are the occupations they train in. These are May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics figures.
| May 2025 BLS annual wage | Family medicine physicians | Orthopedic surgeons (except pediatric) | Physicians, all other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile wage | 76,830 | 84,170 | 69,170 |
| 25th percentile wage | 162,420 | 180,610 | 102,930 |
| Median wage | 244,180 | 358,550 | 265,930 |
| Mean wage | 255,820 | 373,570 | 262,040 |
| 75th percentile wage | 334,270 | 530,700 | 378,770 |
| 90th percentile wage | 428,550 | 659,290 | 452,360 |
Figures are annual wages in US dollars. The BLS wage data for family medicine physicians counted 107,510 jobs, compared with 14,100 for orthopedic surgeons. A nonoperative sports medicine physician from a primary care residency will usually earn closer to the family medicine column, while a surgeon with a sports fellowship earns closer to the orthopedic column.
Pay moves with the route you choose, procedure volume, region, employer type, and whether you hold team or university contracts on top of clinic work.
What Is the Job Outlook for Sports Medicine Physicians?
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects employment of physicians and surgeons to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 22,100 openings each year on average. Physicians and surgeons held about 862,800 jobs in 2025, and the median annual wage across all physicians and surgeons was 275,930 dollars in May 2025.
How High School and College Students Can Start Preparing
You do not need sports medicine experience to get into medical school, but early exposure helps you decide whether the field fits before you commit a decade to it. High school students can start with our path to orthopedics, sports medicine and physical therapy for high school students, which maps classes, activities and early roles, and with this overview of sports medicine internships for high school students.
Useful steps at any stage:
- Volunteer with a school athletic training room or local race medical tent
- Shadow a primary care sports medicine physician and an orthopaedic surgeon to compare the two routes
- Take anatomy, physiology and exercise science courses where available
- Keep a log of clinical hours and what you learned from each setting
How Does Clinical Experience Abroad Help?
Before applying, many students want hands-on time around patients. In IMA’s pre-med internships abroad, interns work under licensed clinicians and, within their training level, take part in vital signs, patient intake and triage, basic patient interviews and other noninvasive tasks, along with ward rounds, rotations and community outreach. How those hours are classified on AMCAS or AACOMAS is each school’s decision.
Choosing Between the Primary Care and Orthopaedic Routes
Sports medicine suits people who like musculoskeletal medicine, enjoy working with active patients, and want a mix of clinic work and time on the field. Choose the primary care route if you want broad medical training, nonoperative procedures and a shorter path. Choose orthopaedics if you want to operate and are ready for a longer, more competitive residency. Either way, the decision point is residency, so use medical school rotations to test both before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years does it take to become a sports medicine physician?
About 12 years after high school on the primary care route: four years of college, four of medical school, a three-year residency and a one-year fellowship. PM&R adds a year, and the orthopaedic route takes about 14 years because orthopaedic residency lasts five years.
What residency do you need for sports medicine?
Under the ACGME requirements, primary care sports medicine fellows come from family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine. Surgeons complete orthopaedic surgery residency and then an orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship.
Can a DO become a sports medicine physician?
Yes. DOs complete the same residencies and ACGME-accredited fellowships as MDs, and the ACGME accepts sports medicine certification from several American Osteopathic Association boards, including family physicians and neuromusculoskeletal medicine.
Do sports medicine doctors perform surgery?
Primary care sports medicine physicians treat injuries without surgery, using exams, imaging, ultrasound-guided injections and rehab plans. Orthopaedic surgeons with a sports medicine fellowship are the ones who operate.
Is a sports medicine physician the same as an athletic trainer or physical therapist?
No. A sports medicine physician holds an MD or DO and finishes residency and fellowship. Athletic trainers and physical therapists are separate licensed professions that work on the same team. See our athletic trainer salary guide for that path.
How much does a sports medicine physician make?
BLS has no separate sports medicine line. In May 2025, family medicine physicians had a median annual wage of 244,180 dollars and orthopedic surgeons 358,550 dollars, so pay depends largely on which route you train through.
What board certification does a sports medicine physician need?
First certification in your primary specialty, then the sports medicine subspecialty certificate from that board, such as the ABFM Certificate of Added Qualification. Orthopaedic surgeons earn the ABOS Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine after general ABOS certification.
