We stress a comprehensive approach to care of athletes.  Strong core rotations with significant exposure to primary care sports medicine and orthopedics anchor the curriculum, while rotations in orthopedic specialties including joint replacement, pediatric/adolescent orthopedics, hand, and foot/ ankle round out the academics. Experiences in neurosurgery, physical therapy, and radiological imaging provide depth and breadth to the curriculum. Opportunities to gain experience in areas of special interest are available through elective rotations.

Through a time-honored relationship, we are team physicians for the University of Nevada Las Vegas. We provide game coverage for many UNLV athletic events and improve student athlete continuity of care by conducting training room clinics Monday through Friday.  We are an integral part of UNLV’s student athlete medical team and travel with the football team to their away games.

In addition, we provide a non-student athlete sports medicine clinic at UNLV student health center twice a week and conduct a sports medicine clinic at the Family Medicine Center (FMC), performing exercise tolerance tests and caring for musculoskeletal and exercise related disorders.  Fellows have the opportunity to do VO2 max testing and biomechanics analysis at UNLV as a component of scholarly pursuits.

To maintain family medicine skills, fellows precept residents on a regular basis and care for patients one half day per week at the Family Medicine Clinic.

Didactics run throughout the year.  During July, didactics are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to launch a strong foundation.  Throughout the remainder of year, didactics are continued on Friday mornings.  We utilize Delee and Drez’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine (copy will be provided to each fellow) as primary text supplemented with current literature reviews, journals and other texts as well as guest lecturers.  Fellows give lectures to the residents once a month as well.

Our mass participation event, The Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon, provides depth to the Sports Medicine curriculum.  Dr. Lenhart is medical director.  Monthly meetings beginning in July and running through November, provide a team approach to event planning. Fellows actively participate in preparation for the marathon and serving the medical needs of the athletes.  Fellows provide lectures for participants at the Marathon Expo and, on race day, staff the finish line medical tent in coordination with EMS out on the course.

The optional second year of the fellowship emphasizes development of academic family medicine faculty skills with strong sports medicine emphasis and core skills related to curriculum development, scholarly works, and professional development.  The second year fellow continues to develop sports medicine skills while acquiring knowledge in research design, implementation and publication.  Fellows apply for and complete a Faculty Development Fellowship at UNC-Chapel Hill over the course of the year.  The second year provides an opportunity for fellows to complete research projects with the expectation of 1-2 publishable scholarly endeavors.  Importantly, the second year fellow serves as a role model and mentor to the first year fellow.