Use of a sports medicine clinic in a family practice residency.

The experience of a pilot sports medicine clinic in affiliation with a family practice residency program is reviewed. The use of volunteer orthopedic staffing along with residents working in an acute sports medicine clinic in a community hospital proved to be a valuable addition to the orthopedic exposure during residency training. Seventy-eight patient contacts involving 93 injuries were encountered over a seven-week period. Three injuries required hospitalization for further definitive care. The benefits derived suggest that a similar clinic setup in other residency training programs could enhance the required orthopedic rotation as well as give acute, responsible care to the injured athlete. Educationally the resident's role as the athlete's physician provided a clinical experience valuable to a primary care practice.