On asking an Indian child about their dreams for future, the most heard quick answer probably is "I want to be a doctor". Indian parents as well answer the same. This profession is attached with numerous aspirations and emotions, where some even go up to the extent of keeping their every possession in stake for letting their child purse medicine. The medical profession was, is and will remain a noble profession. Although a time-consuming profession when it comes to pursuing the degree, this profession comes with a number of perks that the professional can enjoy once they achieve excellence. It is no secret that there are an array of branches in medicine- some are in high demand and some are not. Here in this article, we shall speak about Sports Medicine as an emerging and lesser-known branch of medicine. This write-up is prepared with the view to provide the medicine aspirants an overall idea about this field.

What is Sports Medicine?

Sports Medicine is a niche health care field that focuses on preventing and treating injuries related to sports and exercise. It is considered a specialized form of medicine which takes care of people who practice any form of physical activity. With the culture of sports and working out steadily growing all over India, the practice of Sports Medicine is increasingly becoming a promising career option, especially for those interested in the sphere of fitness and medicine.

The Market Demand

As per data released during the National Sports Physiotherapy Conference recently, there is an increasing demand for sports physiotherapists with an apparent rising trend of students opting physiotherapy as a career. If reports are to be believed, Sports Physiotherapy programme currently being offered by about 23 universities and 180 colleges in India have gone up by 25 percent in the last five years. Additionally, the global sports medicine market will reach $8.24 billion by 2022 from $5.78 billion in 2017 at a CAGR of 7.4 percent during (2017-2022) driven by increasing incidences of sports injuries, continuous influx of new products, treatment modalities, and development in the field of regenerative medicine. And talking about Indian market for Sports medicine, it is to exceed more than US$ 554.2 Million by 2022 at a CAGR of 15.5 per cent in the given forecast period.

This rise of the Sports medicine branch directly or indirectly resulted because of the intensified interest in sports among youth as various sports, beyond cricket, are also gaining popularity. Physiotherapy experts claim that at present there is a dearth of quality sports physiotherapy care, and demand is expected to surpass supply in the future. However, there is a gradual rise in students taking up physiotherapy as a career.

A Career in Sports Medicine

For those intending to specialize in the Sports Medicine field, a diploma or degree is the first step towards numerous roles such as that of a physiotherapist, top-flight trainer, psychologist, nutritionist, or physician. Sports Medicine specialists can also work as counsellors, consultants, and performance educators. Sports Medicine is a highly specialized branch of medical science, which can only be studied after the completion of your MBBS degree. For getting admission into a diploma course, you need to appear for the All India Sports Medicine Post Graduate entrance test, followed by an interview.

As India's sports culture is flourishing with each passing year, it will not be wrong to assume that the career path for Sports Medicine specialists is going to be a bright one!