Profile of Sport and Exercise Physician trainee’s clinical practice within Australasia in 2019: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2024-07, Vol.10 (3), p.e001930
• Main Authors: Lim, Christopher, Vaughan, Brett, Fitzgerald, Kylie, Fitzpatrick, Jane
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical medicine; Clinics; Curricula; Demographics; Education; Emergency medical care; Gender; Injuries; Medicine; Original Research; Patients; Physicians; Questionnaires; Sports & exercise medicine; Sports medicine; Training
• ISSN: 2055-7647; 2055-7647
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2024-001930

ObjectiveTo identify the patient population profile and the spectrum of training activities and influencing factors of Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physician (ACSEP) trainees.DesignRetrospective cross-sectional design.SettingTraining settings for ACSEP trainees.ParticipantsTwenty ACSEP trainees undertaking full-time training in training period 2 of the 2019 training year (1 August 2019–31 January 2020). Exclusion criteria were trainees undertaking part time study and new fellows who completed their fellowship exams in 2019.Independent variablesPatient and practitioner demographicsMethodRetrospective cross-sectional design.Main outcome measurementsPatient data recorded in ACSEP trainees’ logbook. Short questionnaire capturing pertinent trainee demographics.ResultsMost ACSEP trainee patients are adults aged 18–65 years of age (78.2%), presenting with knee (18.7%), ankle (17%) and spinal complaints (13.1%) in clinical practice or sporting team environments. Youths 10–17 make up 13.1% of presentations and older adults 66 years and older make up 8%. Only Australian trainees are engaging in additional training activities, such as surgical assisting outside of the clinic or sporting team environment.ConclusionAustralasian Sport and Exercise Physician trainees appear to consult primarily musculoskeletal complaints, including providing broader care to paediatric and older populations, and work with sporting teams. There are differences between Australia and New Zealand trainee employment conditions, which appear to be affecting training experiences. These differences warrant consideration to ensure equitable training experiences and financial stability for trainees.