Sports Medicine Fellowship

Welcome to the LECOM Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship. We are an ACGME-accredited fellowship, which has trained exceptional sports medicine physicians since its establishment in 2007.

Mission

The mission of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Sports Medicine Fellowship program is to train qualified fellows in the fundamental and contemporary elements in Sports Medicine. By providing our fellows with the tools and resources to develop a comprehensive fund of knowledge, sound clinical decision making, and excellent procedural skills, fellows will enter clinical practice as exceptional sports medicine physicians.

Program Overview

Our fellowship program welcomes qualified applicants who will have completed a residency program in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, or physical medicine and rehabilitation, prior to appointment in the program.

The primary goal of the LECOM Sports Medicine Fellowship Program is to develop sports medicine physicians who will practice in a manner that acknowledges the interdependency of mind, body and spirit. This goal aligns with the mission statement and educational goals of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which seeks to train physicians to practice in the osteopathic tradition.

Specific program goals include extensive training in musculoskeletal ultrasound, osteopathic manipulative treatment, and bio-regenerative injections, which distinguish this fellowship from others.

Under the guidance of nationally-recognized faculty members, fellows will develop the experience and skill sets needed to function as team physicians at every level, managing the needs of local athletes at the high school and collegiate levels.

Fellows will become competent in pre-participation physical examinations, weekly training rooms, and daily injury assessments throughout the athletic seasons. Fellows will develop skills needed for on-field event coverage, and will master skills necessary to provide return-to-play determinations, concussion management, neuropsychological testing, and injury prevention.

Management builds upon integrative components related to the expanding field of mental health in sports, functional movement, and exercise. Functional movement screening is emphasized in performance enhancement and injury prevention. Fellows will develop management skills for non-competitive athletes in all stages of life, developing competencies in in non-surgical musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment.

Finally, our program will develop fellows who become leaders in the specialty, promoting lifelong learning and scholarship, by developing and presenting scholarly projects at yearly national sports medicine conferences.

As head team physicians for over 500 athletes at Allegheny College, Doctor Rial performs pre-participation physical examinations, weekly training rooms, and daily injury assessments throughout the athletic seasons. On-field event coverage of football and a variety of other sports are part of our responsibilities. LECOM Sports Medicine also provides medical services for Corry High School Sports.

Daily office patients are certainly not limited to sports injuries, as we also optimize treatment for our expanding Baby Boomer population. We specialize in non-surgical musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. The Sports Medicine Department is located in the 100,000 square foot LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center. The LECOM Wellness Center provides physical therapy on our second floor. Our building also houses on the same floor of LECOM Sports Medicine Suite medical practices in orthopedic medicine, geriatrics, surgery, urology, and integrative medicine along with a complete radiology suite with x-ray and DEXA scans.

Curriculum

Weekly didactic lectures and OMT workshops for the LECOM medical students and residents are presented by the Sports Medicine Department. Sports medicine physicians precept MSIII and MSIV students on clinical rotation. The fellowship plays an integral role for the LECOM Sports Medicine Club, providing mentoring, didactics, and demonstrations monthly for this enthusiastic club.

Attendance and presentations are required at the annual meetings of the AOASM and ACSM. The LECOM Sports Medicine leadership has historically been a part of the national sports medicine arena. We feel that both local and national exposure enhances lifelong learning and future career opportunities for the fellows.

There are domestic and international educational and philanthropic activities available through institutions, such as the Hackett-Hemwall Foundation. Integrative components of nutrition, stress management, sleep, and body-mind-spirit perspectives are incorporated into our curriculum.

Our one-year post residency fellowship offers supervised experiences by board certified sports medicine specialists in the office, in the classroom, and on the side lines. Research opportunities, national speaking venues, and yearly publications are part of our norm.

Selected candidates will be asked to interview in Erie, PA LECOM Sports Medicine does not participate in the match.

Thank you for your interest in our exciting program.

Fellow Benefits

Vacation: Fellows receive 15 days of paid leave and three days for illness each training year. (This includes five days for CME.)

Educational Allowance: Fellows receive $1,800 for continuing medical education which can be used to participate in extramural educational seminars or the purchase of books, subscriptions or other scholarly materials. Residents take the ACLS Certification course at Millcreek Community Hospital, at no cost.

Free Membership to LECOM Medical Fitness & Wellness Center.

Relocation Allowance: Incoming fellows are granted up to $1,000 relocation allowance to facilitate the move to Erie, PA. There is a wide range of housing options in both urban and rural settings. Hospital subsidized housing is also available. The MCH staff will be happy to assist you in finding accommodations to suit you.

Insurance: Fellows receive malpractice, medical, dental and life insurance at no cost. Medical insurance for the fellows and his/her family is provided. A pharmaceutical plan allows prescriptions to be filled our outpatient pharmacy at a reduced rate. Life insurance is provided with a benefit equal to one year’s salary.

On-Call Meals: The fellows receive all meals while on-duty and while on-call at Millcreek Community Hospital, at no cost. Their family may join them and receive the employee discount on all meals.

Library Facilities: Millcreek Community Hospital has a well-equipped library where fellows may obtain computerized literature searches and copies of articles at no charge. The MCH Medical Library has an active interlibrary loan program through LECOM. Fellows also have access to the LECOM Learning Resource Center.

Other Benefits: Fellows are provided with three lab coats each year at no charge.

LECOM Sports Medicine Faculty:

Christopher W. Rial, D.O.
CAQ Sports Medicine, Certified in Family Practice and Sports Medicine

Josh Tuck, D.O.
Orthopedic Surgery

Anthony Ferretti, D.O.
Orthopedic Surgery

Residents applying to our Sports Medicine and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowships are encouraged to submit a Residency/Fellowship Application (online application) to Medical Education, LECOM Health Millcreek Community Hospital. A copy of the Resident’s/Fellow’s board scores, medical school transcript, prior training records and at least two letters of recommendation (one of which must be from your base residency program director) are to be included.

Selection of residents and fellows shall not be based on race, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, color, disability which would not directly impede the training process or any other characteristic protected by law.