Since 2014, the Spanish Ministry of Health has withdrawn sports medicine as an option for specialist medical training (MIR), such that no more specialists can be trained in sports medicine. For this reason, there is a clear current need to train doctors for professional sports teams for the coming years. To address this need, the idea of creating a curriculum and practical training has been pushed forward by the University of Barcelona together with two reference hospitals, Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, and with the collaboration of FC Barcelona. This initiative takes the form of a master's degree in Sports Medicine, with a focus on team sports.
Content and objectives of this master's degreeThis master's degree in team sports medicine will have broad and transversal content and will be based on clinical and surgical specialties such as internal medicine, traumatology, rehabilitation, cardiology, endocrinology, imaging diagnosis, and paediatrics, among others. It will also cover aspects of sports science, exercise physiology, training planning, biomechanics, podiatry, psychology, nutrition, and other areas. The objectives will be to acquire knowledge and practice in sports medicine applied to teams, as detailed in Table 1.
Key contents of this master's degree.
| Pre-participation evaluation and athlete monitoring. Functional assessment and control, trainingProviding immediate medical attention to players on the pitch. Advanced CPRManaging sports injuries: Prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and return to playManaging the most common pathologies: cardiology, dermatology, etc.Practical imaging interpretation: Ultrasound, UTC, CT, MRI, PETNutrition, ergogenic aids, and dopingTravel management, competitions, and special groupsLeadership, multidisciplinary team management, and communication with stakeholder |
Some key characteristics of this Master are provided in Table 2. This will be an eminently face-to-face Masters, with an 8-h daily schedule, where students will always be guided by a specialist in each area during the course.
Key characteristics of this masters.
| Type of Master:EPTS credits:Duration and intensity:Methodology:Basic Admission Criteria:Cost:Associates: | Taught MSc from the University of Barcelona6011 months; 8h per dayFace-to-face teachingFor Doctors (Spanish-speaking)€15,000Medical Services of Futbol Club Barcelona, Hospital Clinic (HC) and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (HSJD) in Barcelona, and the Instituto de Estudios de Emergencias (IEM), Barcelona |
IEM, Emergency Medicine Institute, Barcelona; FCB, Medical Services, Futbol Club Barcelona; HC, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona; HSJD, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona.
Due to the characteristics of this Master's degree, during the first 5 months participants will be at Hospital Clinic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu in Barcelona. The remaining 6 months will be spent at the FC Barcelona facilities at the Joan Gamper Sports Center, close to Barcelona (Table 3).
Modules of this masters.
| Modules | Content | Location | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Online Course: Introduction of Sports Medicine | On-line | 5 |
| Module 2 | Immediate action in the field, most common situations | IEM | 5 |
| Module 3 | Medical issues related to physical exercise and sports | HC and HSJD | 20 |
| Module 4 | Sports injuries in the team sports environment | FCB | 20 |
| Module 5 | Research work | FCB | 10 |
On completion, this course confers the title of Masters from the University of Barcelona. It does not provide training or confer the qualification of Specialist in Sports Medicine. We believe that this Masters will be very useful in filling a knowledge gap that is currently difficult to address, and will serve as complementary training for many medical professionals interested in the medicine of physical exercise and sports.
Further informationhttps://barcainnovationhub.com/master/master-in-team-sports-medicine/
https://www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/estudis/oferta_formativa/masters_propis/fitxa/F/201711834/index.html
Email address: grodas@ub.edu
