If you’re a medical student still considering specialty options, you might want to move sports medicine higher on your list. That’s because recent research by the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that sports medicine is the nation’s fastest growing specialty, valued at USD $8.1 billion globally in 2019 and expected to nearly double, hitting $15.2 billion by 2027.
Driving the surge in interest and demand are a rise in incidences of sports injuries and increasing participation of people in sports and fitness related activities. Stanford Children’s Heath in 2019 estimated that some 30 million children participated in sports and recreation programs in the US and noted upward of 3.5 million injuries involving around 75,000 children aged 14 and younger. While the COVID-19 pandemic put a severe dent in these figures over the past year, experts expect a steady but sure return to school and other organized sports programs as cities reopen, though with a caution toward following CDC recommendations.
Moreover, the pandemic actually brought a marked rise in at-home fitness activities and the use of related products including wearable fitness bands and workout machines. In fact, New York-based Peloton reported a 172-percent surge in sales and more than 1 million subscribers to its streaming classes just six months into the outbreak. While an interest in health and fitness is, of course, beneficial, it also means a potential rise in related injuries.
Whatever specialty you’re considering, WOLFPACC can help assure you the competitive edge with review courses designed to help you ace your USMLE and COMLEX exams on the first try. Call 904-209-3140 or visit us online to talk with an enrollment specialist today.
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