BUIES CREEK – The Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine Sports Medicine Fellowship welcomed its third class of fellows in July. Since their arrival, Drs. Ryan Hudson and Philip Hoffman have been busy providing healthcare at the Campbell University Health Center, Campbell athletic events, and in the community.
Dr. Andrew Martin, director of the fellowship and head team physician for Campbell University Athletics, is passionate about providing quality training for the fellows in treating everyone from community softball league players to Olympic athletes and that is exactly what the fellowship is doing.
This fall, in addition to serving Campbell University athletes, the fellowship provided healthcare at the Wilmington Iron Man, Green Hope High School athletics, the North Carolina USA Boxing league, and Dr. Martin and Dr. Hoffman traveled to Switzerland to begin working with the US Nordic Ski team in preparation for Dr. Martin accompanying them to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.
“I chose CUSOM’s fellowship because it is an osteopathic program with a collegiate Division-1 program,” said Ryan Hudson, DO. “Division-1 athletes are high level performers who require more aggressive and active care. Completing my fellowship training in the care of these athletes will equip me to readily transition into caring for other D-1 athletes and professional athletes.”
In addition to the benefits of working with Campbell’s athletes, the fellows choose the program because of the medical treatments implemented at the University Health Center.
“Dr Martin offers a program that is helping me learn about various modalities I wished to be comfortable with in practice such as musculoskeletal ultrasound and PRP treatment – minimally invasive, regenerative therapies,” said Dr. Philip Hoffman. “I’m also working with Dr. Martin on biomechanics research with the US ski jump team as well as local baseball pitchers and runners.”
While acute care for injured athletes and supporting athletes as they keep their bodies healthy during competitions is a primary focus for the fellowship, Dr. Martin and his team also work with all patients to achieve early diagnosis of any health problems and lifestyle management.
“I believe that all people are athletes,” continued Dr. Hudson. “I believe exercise is medicine and can be used to help prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases that affect our population.”
The fellows accompany Dr. Martin to Campbell University athletic events in his duties as team physician to provide medical care to the athletes as needed. They also are members of the teaching faculty at the medical school and mentors to medical students who volunteer to assist in providing care at events on campus and in the community. The fellowship supported Campbell’s medical students in hosting the Southeastern Regional Sports Medicine Conference for the past two years and in hosting a Wilderness Medicine Conference this fall.
Both fellows plan to continue providing care to athletes as well as weekend warriors and retired athletes after they complete the program in June – and perhaps continue in academia.
“I plan to practice primary care sports medicine with a mix of academic and community practice to help serve the community I live in and allow individuals to stay active and healthy,” continued Dr. Hudson. “I would also like to help educate the physicians of tomorrow.”