OrthoCarolina physicians Patrick Connor, M.D.; Donald D’Alessandro, M.D.; Brian DeLay, M.D.; Ranjan Maitra, M.D.; and Ronald Singer, M.D., are among the first physicians in the country to achieve subspecialty certification in orthopedic sports medicine from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Fewer than 600 orthopedic sports medicine specialists nationwide sat for the exam in November 2007. An orthopedic sports medicine specialist is trained in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of muscle, bone and joint injuries sustained while engaging in sports or exercise.
“The goal of the certification, which is new in the sports medicine subspecialty, is to elevate the standard of postgraduate continuing education, which in turn enables certified physicians to provide the best possible care for all injured athletes, including students, weekend warriors and professionals,” said Maitra.
In order to qualify to take the exam, which is administered once a year, applicants must be board-certified in orthopedic surgery, have actively practiced orthopedic sports medicine for at least two years and submit for review a list of sports medicine operations performed within the past year.
Research has proven that surgeons who specialize in a particular surgery or procedure, such as those commonly associated with orthopedic sports medicine, have statistically superior outcomes and lower complication rates. And while all physicians are required by the American Medical Association to accrue continuing education units in order to remain licensed, those who have earned this ABOS certification are among the handful of physicians nationwide who have, for the first time, achieved a common, higher standard in postgraduate training that ultimately will benefit the injured athletes who seek their care. |
