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Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine
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The Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine (GDSM) programme, developed by LKCMedicine in partnership with the Singapore Sport & Exercise Medicine Centre @ Changi General Hospital (SSMC@CGH), is designed for medical doctors who are interested in extending their qualifications and training in this growing area of need.
Currently, sports medicine services are only available at select specialist clinics in public hospitals and private clinics. However, the scope of sports medicine practice has expanded beyond
sports-related injuries to include prevention of common chronic diseases and treatment of general musculoskeletal injuries, which are particularly common in older people.
With this growing scope, coupled with the number of senior citizens in Singapore expected to climb to 900,000 by 2030, the demand for sports medicine services is set to rise exponentially.
This creates an urgent need to develop another tier of sports medicine caregivers who are based in the heartland communities. Being readily accessible to the public, medical practitioners with this knowledge and skillset will play a leading role in the prevention of injuries and chronic disease as well as the management of minor injuries and prompt referral of complex cases to sports medicine specialists. The GDSM programme, aimed primarily at medical doctors registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC), will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to confidently perform pre-participation screening for sport and exercise, manage general and sports-related musculoskeletal injuries in the primary care setting, and provide medical support for sports programmes and events, among others.
Endorsed by the SMC, graduates of the diploma can display the qualification in their clinics to attest to the additional skills they possess. 50 CME points (non-core points will be awarded for non-Sports Medicine specialists) will be awarded to SMC-registered doctors during and after completing the programme.
Why GDSM?
While sports medicine has its roots in caring for athletes, it can also play important roles in chronic disease prevention and management, and in caring for the elderly who are prone to musculoskeletal injuries.
Equipping general practitioners and family medicine physicians with this additional knowledge and skillset brings care to the heartlands, so that injuries can be prevented and managed at the primary care level, and more complicated cases can be promptly referred to the specialist clinics.
Prior to this, such courses were only available in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine will provide doctors interested in sports and exercise medicine with an accessible and professionally recognised training programme that will benefit both their practice and patients.
Furthermore, there is increasing evidence regarding the role of physical activity in the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes. The skills imparted will enable doctors to useexercise as a tool in the battle against these diseases with confidence.
Sports injuries see better outcomes when given prompt attention, and that is why primary care doctors need to be better equipped to manage these injuries.
Adjunct A/Prof Benedict Tan, Chief of Sport & Exercise Medicine, Singapore Sport & Medicine Centre @ Changi General Hospital and Chairman, GDSM Advisory Committee
