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Paediatric Sport Medicine Grant
2010 Paediatirc Sports Medicine Grant - Final Report
Submitted by: Eric Koelink, MD, Fellow, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
I would like to thank the Canadian Paediatric Society’s Sports and Exercise Medicine Section for providing me with the opportunity to pursue an elective in the field of paediatric sports medicine. Over my four weeks working at the David Braley Athletic Centre at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, I was able to see a wide spectrum of both paediatric and adult sports medicine patients. The D.B.A.C. also had on-site physiotherapy and access to x-rays and MRI through McMaster University Medical Centre, making it a convenient service for facilitating the assessment and management of sports injuries. My time was spent in the outpatient setting, working with two inspirational physicians with different training backgrounds.
Dr. Laura Purcell is a paediatric emergency medicine physician and diplomat of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). She is also the current president of the Paediatric Sports Medicine and Exercise Section for the CPS. Working with her was a thoroughly rewarding and invaluable experience, and I hope to emulate not only her academic qualifications but also her professionalism, compassion and expertise. Over the span of four weeks an eclectic patient population presented to her clinic, with ankle sprains, Sever’s apophysitis, ACL tears, concussions and stress fractures incurred in a variety of recreational and competitive athletic settings. With each case Dr. Purcell demonstrated appropriate assessment techniques and talked through the salient points impacting her approach to diagnosis. As a learner, I appreciated the time taken to explain the rationale behind certain clinical decisions, and will use this model for future practice. The majority of patients were managed with various braces and physiotherapy. However, for those more complicated cases, we were fortunate to have a surgeon available for referrals in the same clinic.
Dr. Devin Peterson is an orthopedic surgeon who also works out of the David Braley Athletic Centre, seeing both paediatric and adult sports medicine patients. In his busy clinics we saw a (naturally) more surgery-oriented clientele, with cases of ACL tears, SLAP lesions, rotator cuff tears and dislocated shoulders with Bankart or Hill-Sachs lesions. Radiologic findings on x-ray, ultrasound and MRI were reviewed and relevant anatomy discussed in detail to better distinguish pathology from normal appearance. Dr. Peterson’s proficiency and attention to detail set a high standard which I sought to uphold in my clinical encounters. I truly appreciated the time and effort Dr. Peterson put into reviewing each case and discussing its management going forward.
With the help of two superb teachers and the CPS Sports and Exercise Medicine Section, my confidence in assessing and managing sports-related injuries in both the paediatric and adult populations has improved tremendously. I plan to put this new-found knowledge to good use as I pursue my fellowship training in paediatric emergency medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children. I also plan on completing a fellowship in sports medicine through CASEM, allowing me to continue practice in this growing field and to work with such highly qualified colleagues as Drs. Purcell and Peterson.
Posted: July 2011
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