Virginia Commonwealth University - St. Francis/Bon Secours Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship in Richmond, VA

The Virginia Commonwealth University – St.  Francis/Bon Secours Sports medicine fellowship is an ACGME accredited 1 year (July-June) fellowship program. The program focuses on  advancing the knowledge in sports medicine issues, neuromuscular injuries and providing non-surgical options and interventions. This includes the evaluation and treatment of a variety of patients, from pediatrics to elderly, and at various levels of activity, from weekend warriors to professional.

Fellows have the opportunity to work in the various facets of Sports Medicine including Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Family Medicine, and Orthopedics, at both St. Francis Hospital (Bon Secours) and Virginia Commonwealth University. Weekly continuity clinic allows us to gain experience evaluating and managing our own patients. Rotations include Joint Replacement, Hand & Wrist, Foot & Ankle, Spine, Sports Performance and an Elective. The PM&R fellow is also able to continue with EMG clinic every other month. During the course of the fellowship, there is  hands-on training in emergency sideline management (including Spinal boarding), fracture management (splinting/casting), and diagnostic and interventional ultrasound. Weekly didactics are held and we are responsible for several lectures along with leading hands on skills courses for residents. 

The sideline coverage is very expansive in the program. We work in both the training room  and sidelines for Virginia Commonwealth University, Randolph Macon College and Longwood University as well as the professional local soccer team, the Richmond Kickers! The fellows are each assigned a local high school and work with the high school ATC to provide on-site care. Opportunities for mass participation events also exist, such as the Richmond Marathon and the Monument 10K (One of the nation’s largest 10Ks).

Richmond, Virginia is an amazing city full of history. There are many restaurants, breweries, vineyards, concerts,  museums, theaters, music halls and farmers markets in the area. The city also hosts several festivals in the spring and summer time. A plethora of hiking trails are also available including at Shenandoah National Park. Nearby activities  also include multiple beaches, ski slopes, white water rafting and Washington D.C. (1.5 -2 hours away). Housing/Apartments are affordable and traffic is very minimal!

The program accepts one PM&R and one family medicine candidate. Applications are completed via ERAS. Strong applicants will have some experience in sideline coverage and/or ultrasound. After completion of the program, fellows are eligible for the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine (CAQSM) exam.