Physician Oversight

According to the Inter-Association Consensus Statement on Best Practices for Sports Medicine Management for Secondary Schools and Colleges, it is recommended that:

• Athletic trainers work under the direction of a team physician based on their state practice act and professional standards;

• Athletic trainers follow policies and procedures that are written in conjunction with the team physician and supported by the school administration;

• Athletic trainers communicate return-to-play concerns with the team physician, with whom the final authority rests;

• All athletes undergo a comprehensive preparticipation physical examination and no athlete be allowed to practice or compete until documentation of the examination is provided;

• All schools with athletic programs have emergency action plans that are written, posted, and practiced by all who have responsibility for the acute management of athletes' injuries and illnesses;

• All schools have an appointed or designated team physician; and

• All schools with athletic programs provide an adequate number of sports medicine providers, specifically and most appropriately athletic trainers, based on the number of athletic teams and athletes.

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In the field of sports medicine, team physicians and athletic trainers must work cooperatively in order to implement athlete-centered care. In athlete-centered care, the sports medicine staff are often presented with the ethical dilemma when an athlete's best medical interests conflict with the performance expectations. The legal responsibility for RTP decisions ultimately falls on the team physician. As athletic trainers, we work under the supervision and direction of the team physician, required by national certification and state licensing boards. 

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Team physician serves a position that is a vital need to all NCAA member institutions, so it is the responsibility of the institution to provide a safe environment for the student-athlete. By designating a team physician, it ensures that institutions are meeting a minimal requirement for the oversight of healthcare policy and student-athlete well-being. ​