Introduction
A sports medicine physician is basically a medical professional who has obtained a specialized training in medicine and is responsible for lifelong fitness and wellness of his patients, along with encouraging prevention of illness and injury.
The core function of a sports medicine physician is to maximize performance and efficiency and minimize disability and time away from sports, school and work.
Sports Medicine Specialists
The job of a sports medicine specialist entails an extensive period of study, research and training, supplemented by adequate educational qualifications. The general range of sports medicine physician salaries also varies according to the level of qualifications and training obtained.
The study of sports medicine and sports basically involves applying medical and scientific principles to sports and exercise along with the overall ability of the body to perform physically.
Such professionals in the field of sports medicine possess a specialization in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries that happen due to various sporting events, athletic training and physical training.
Salaries – Factors and Determinants
According to a recent report published by American Medical Group Association (AMGA)1, the salary figures for this particular category of professionals stood at a whopping $ 240, 475, which was expected to go up even higher.
There are a series of factors that can influence the patterns and levels of sports medicine physician salaries. Below, we’ve listed some of the main factors involved.
1. Age: Senior, experienced and elderly sports medicine physicians are often likely to get a higher salary than the freshers or even the moderately experienced professionals.
2. Gender: In some cases, gender also plays an important role in determining the salary bracket. For instance, the sports medicine physician salaries will be higher for women in a care center where specific problems related to women athletes are being dealt with.
3. Number of patients examined: For healthcare organizations, the number of cases dealt with often translate into direct revenues and build-up of goodwill and profits. Sports medicine physician salaries are often higher in cases where the organization follows the policies of paying up according to the number of patients examined instead of a fixed slab of salary.
4. Ownership: The ownership of the practice of sports medicine is also crucial in deciding the level of the sports medicine physician salaries.
Research Reports
A series of research reports and studies reveal interesting facts regarding the patterns of sports medicine physician salaries.
As per an analysis conducted through a web-based survey, men who owned their own practice, were more than 40 years of age and met more than 10 patients in one half of the day, were most likely to earn a higher income, which was more than $200,000 in a given year.
This particular research also concluded that the practice of sports medicine physicians also varies significantly with the location and type of practice.
1 Source: http://www.cejkasearch.com/compensation/amga_physician_compensation_survey.htm
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