Sports Medicine Fellowship Overview

The Sports Medicine fellowship at Rutgers - RWJMS is one of the first primary care sports medicine programs in the country, beginning in the early 1990’s. The program is housed in and strongly supported by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. The fellowship works directly with Rutgers and Princeton Universties. Faculty at the universities serve as Directors of Sports Medicine for the athletic programs. The fellowship has strong academic ties with the medical school, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, orthopedics, radiology and other allied health care providers, and fellows have been integrated into the medical teaching system for over twenty years.

Through direct involvement in the daily operations of both universities’ sports medicine programs, the fellow is provided with an exceptional learning experience. They see the entire scope of sports medicine from medical disorders in the athlete, (concussions, nutritional, psychological issues, etc), to a large variety of orthopedic problems. Fellows gain experience in covering and treating a wide variety of sports at the NCAA Division 1 level. Fellows also partake in many NCAA sponsored national events throughout the year. Additional experiences at a junior college and high school provide a well rounded educational experience. In addition, fellows get extensive experience in musculoskeletal procedures, including diagnostic ultrasound, ultrasound guided injections, casting, and splinting.

The RWJMS sports medicine faculty is one of the most experienced of any program in the country. The core faculty has over 55 years of combined experience teaching fellows and come from a variety of disciplines (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine). Faculty members are leaders in the field with two faculty Dr. M. Putukian (current), and Dr. B Halpern (past program director), serving as past presidents of AMSSM. Our faculty has been recognized nationally for their work in areas of sports medicine, including concussion and musculoskeletal ultrasound. This exceptional faculty provides the fellow with a myriad of opportunities to be involved with research and other scholarly activities.

The sports medicine fellowship at RWJMS is one of the oldest most respected programs in the country. It has a tremendously experienced faculty who are leaders in this rapidly growing field. Fellows are provided with a variety of educational opportunities through close integration with two major collegiate athletic programs.

Jill Kropa, M.D.
Sports Medicine Fellowship Director