Pediatric residency education: is sports medicine getting its fair share?

Introduction: Sports are the leading injury-related cause for pediatric primary care visits. Pediatric residency education guidelines suggest incorporating sports medicine (SM) education into curricula; however, research is lacking regarding effective teaching methods.

Objective: To assess reported US pediatric residency SM curricula, teaching methods, and resident evaluation of SM education.

Design/methods: Chief residents (CRs) and third-year residents (PL3s) from 100 randomly selected US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency programs, stratified by size and geographic location, received surveys regarding programs' SM curriculum and teaching methods and individuals' methods for learning SM.

Results: Response rates were 63% and 39% for CRs and PL3s, respectively. According to CRs, 34% of programs had no one in charge of their SM curriculum. Lecture (77%) was the primary method used for teaching SM. Hands-on teaching (37%) was used less frequently. CRs stated that 29% of programs did not include musculoskeletal examination teaching in their curriculums; 24% did not include formal teaching of concussion management, and 29% did not include reasons for medical disqualification. PL3s rated teaching of joint examinations and the preparticipation physical as the most poorly taught components of the physical examination. PL3s rated hands-on teaching and patient experience as the best methods for improving SM education. CRs reported that only 36% of programs have discussed incorporating more SM into their curriculum.

Conclusions: SM education is deficient in US pediatric residency programs. Standardized curricula should be developed with a focus on hands-on training as a means for teaching SM to pediatric residents.