Most sports medicine fellows spend time on the sidelines of soccer video games or in the locker rooms of basketball groups. But at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), some are gaining medical expertise in a completely completely different setting — the skilled rodeo arena.
Daniel “Jake” Harrington, M.D., and William “Bo” Cates, M.D., each fellows in the college’s Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, just lately participated in medical protection at a number of rodeo occasions, together with the annual Reno Rodeo, as a part of their medical coaching.
“Covering the rodeo is actually built into our fellowship curriculum,” Dr. Harrington mentioned. “We work with Dr. Travis Kieckbusch, an orthopedic surgeon who’s been doing this for years. I helped at a bull riding event earlier this year — it was my first time at a rodeo, so it was a completely new experience.”
Dr. Cates and Dr. Islas at the Reno Rodeo.The rotation supplies fellows publicity to a sport that presents various kinds of accidents, athletes and therapy environments than extra conventional sports.
“It’s a unique set of athletes in a unique sport,” Dr. Cates mirrored. “When I was applying to programs, the rodeo coverage was one of the things that made UNR Med stand out. A lot of people don’t get that kind of experience.”
Arthur “Tony” Islas, M.D., MPH, FAWM, director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program, echoed Dr. Cates, mentioning that “the Reno Rodeo is a great event for the program, as it allows the fellows to work with a completely different athletic population, which really adds to their education.”
Different accidents, completely different communication
The medical setting in rodeo differs considerably from what fellows encounter in mainstream sports. The mechanisms of harm and bodily calls for are distinctive, and athletes typically function independently with out the construction of a workforce or teaching workers.
“You see injuries you don’t typically manage in sports like football or basketball,” Dr. Harrington talked about. “It requires a different clinical mindset.”
Because rodeo athletes typically resolve for themselves whether or not to compete, fellows should regulate how they convey and advise them.
“With these athletes, it’s up to them whether they go back out there,” Dr. Cates mentioned. “Our job is to give them the best medical information possible and help them think through their options.”
Safety and teamwork
Fellows put together by reviewing literature on frequent rodeo-related accidents and dealing with skilled medical groups. But the arena setting nonetheless requires a excessive degree of situational consciousness.
“You can’t just run onto the field like you would during a football game,” Dr. Cates mentioned. “There might be bulls moving or animals being corralled. You have to stay alert and be mindful of the environment.”
Harrington talked about the teamwork amongst medical professionals at rodeo occasions was a key a part of the expertise.
“Everyone knew their role,” he mentioned. “Doctors, EMTs, athletic trainers — it was a very cohesive team. There was no ego, just professionalism and communication.”
Adapting to the sport
Dr. Cates, a former soccer and baseball participant, mentioned treating rodeo athletes meant studying new biomechanics and understanding how their our bodies transfer beneath distinctive stress.
“I’ve never ridden broncos or bulls, so I had to ask a lot of questions,” he mentioned. “That helped me better understand their injuries and how to tailor treatment.”
Both fellows mentioned the expertise helped them develop as clinicians and higher put together for a profession in sports medicine.
“It reinforced how important it is to stay flexible and athlete-centered in our approach,” Harrington mentioned. “It’s one of the most valuable parts of the program.”
Dr. Cates agreed.
“You don’t see this in every fellowship,” he mentioned. “It’s an opportunity I’ll remember and learn from going forward.”