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It was that time again. 10 years has gone by. I had to recertify with my Boards for my Sports Medicine Qualifications. I passed once again! What a relief. The intensity of it never changes. Even though they are certain things I may do more with, and other things I don’t do anything with, I have to know it all for the Boards. By the time I have to do this again, I will be 65, and retiring! I have always had an interest in Sports Medicine. I have had this certification now for 25 years. I am proud of this fact, as there are a limited number of primary care doctors who have this added qualification. I am the only one in Watertown with this as well. I helped create our current Sports Medicine group, Sports Medicine Plus, with several other doctors here in Watertown to cover the High School sports here. My interest came just with the fact that I have been involved with sports, and in particular, running, long before medical school.
My son Nick sent me this picture this week that he found of me in an Augustana yearbook of me running the steeple chase. That truly is when my interest in Sports Medicine starting taking off.
We ran enough 5k’s during residency as well. Here we are for a Halloween race wearing our “doctor” shirts!
I am still running yet! This one was taking a week ago running a 5k, with my daughter Megan, and several good friends, and members of our run club, Jill and Steve.
The intensity of getting ready for Boards is no simple task. You are always learning, reading every day. But the extra added material to know, for the Boards, is staggering. This one is my material getting ready for the very first Boards after completion of our second year of medical school. This was just the review material! It is easier to review and learn when it is a topic that you have an interest in, but the most challenging part of it all is the volume of material. There is no way you will know it all. You are never done learning!
This is my work table of the review material for this most recent Sports Medicine Boards down in my office at home. Again, it is the volume of material that is tough. Like I said, you are doing and learning every day, but the preparation of taking the exam for me began 1 1/2 years ago trying to get down many, many specifics again. The details…details that I do not use every day.
I love Sports Medicine! I am always encouraging patients to be eating healthier, and promoting exercise. I do not want anybody getting injuries doing activities, but they happen. That is when I am there to step in. It is always a challenge when somebody comes in and their injury, or pain, limits them from what they want to do. Besides the physical aspect, there is the mental aspect. This is particularly true when somebody has set a goal for themselves of achieving, such as a half marathon, or a marathon, and now they are hurt. They, we…me…don’t have time to be hurt, or laid up by injury. Patients come in upset, even sobbing, that they cannot achieve their goals, or they have to adjust, or forgo some things. You work the best you can with them, but we cannot perform miracles. Sometimes those goals may have to be postponed, or delayed. Convincing someone of that is tough. They have a race this weekend, and want it fixed by then. Sometimes you can tell somebody something, and they don’t want to hear it, and go get another opinion, only to hear the same thing, but now time has gone by and they have had time to adjust to it, and can deal with it better. I have had patients come to me for a second opinion, and patients who have gone to somebody else for a second opinion. There is still no substitute for time. I am no different. I want it solved yesterday too! I try to convince patients, and myself now, that that is why we are called patients…because we also need to have “patience”!
I will always be involved in sports, and sports medicine. It is who I am. So much can be learned by being active, and achieving goals. We feel like we can then take on anything, or conquer any challenges that we get in life. Sometimes it may not always be the answer we want to hear. Many times those goals can still be achieved, but they will be delayed. Be patient! We need to learn to be flexible, and go with what life deals us. That is why this is called Strive to Survive! There are always things that change, and we have to learn to adapt and go with it. In the end, it makes us stronger! Dealing with adversity makes us appreciate the good times even more. Everybody, including me, can’t always fix health issues that come up right away. But we can help you deal with it, and adjust to it. We are all athletes! We may be all at different levels, and intensities. But we are all athletes! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of new streak: # 147
