Student athletes are back and ready for a new season and the Sports and Exercise Medicine fellows at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are ready to provide the care they need.
The UAB-Cahaba Sports and Exercise Medicine Fellowship is a two-year program supported by Cahaba Medical Care and the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine. Fellows gain hands-on experience in sports medicine training as they diagnose and manage illnesses and injuries and provide coverage for professional, collegiate and high school athletes.
UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine fellows Matthew Miesch, M.D. and Christian Muller, D.O., are the sole physicians for Ramsey and Bessemer High Schools, respectively. They work closely with coaches, student athletes and parents at each school, participate in training room clinics and are on the sidelines during the games. For injured athletes, they provide non-surgical evaluations and treatment of these athletes with the goal to restore them back to their pre-injury performance level. In addition to Ramsey and Bessemer, the program works with UAB club sports, Vulcan Rugby Birmingham Legion and the Birmingham Bulls.
Matthew Miesch, M.D.
Along with helping student athletes, the partnership gives Miesch and Muller firsthand knowledge and experience of what can occur during the games and allows them to develop relationships with players and coaches.
Christian Muller, D.O.
“You have to get continuity with a team meaning you want to follow them along not just for one game not for two games but a whole season,” Miesch said. “You get to know the players you work with and the athletic trainers you develop good relationships with.”
The fellows can also help families get the care that they might not normally be able to access.
“The parents are so thankful that we’re there, and for the easy, convenient access to care,” Miesch said. “That’s the biggest thing I take home from this partnership. I’m able to go to them instead of them coming to me and that’s such a huge advantage for the families.”
The UAB SEM fellows strive to help athletes excel in their sporting activities and everyday lives. UAB is invested in cultivating a stronger community and brighter future by ensuring the students have the most excellent care possible.
“There’s such a variety of healthcare opportunities within the community and I’m glad to be part of helping make a difference for those that need it,” Muller said. “We have a bunch of really great athletes at all stages of life and athletics that I enjoy taking care of and watching them grow.”
This partnership makes high school football safer each time teams take the field, and makes it possible for student athletes, no matter their economic background, to receive excellent care and keep chasing their dreams on and off the field.
Written by Kenia Hernandez