Preceptor: Natasha Desai, MD and Abigail Campbell, MD
Contact: Caroline Dannacher, Caroline.Dannacher@NYULangone.org
Telephone: 212-598-6509 

Prerequisites: None 

Who should enroll in this elective?

Students who are considering Primary Care Sports Medicine or Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine as a career
Students who are simply interested in developing a focus on women’s musculoskeletal health

Description

This elective aims to introduce students to Women's Sports Medicine by working with an interdisciplinary team lead by the Center for Women’s Sports Medicine Faculty. The program integrates Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Primary Care Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, Nutrition, and Rheumatology to provide a holistic approach to addressing the unique needs of female athletes. Students will gain expertise in injury prevention, management, and treatment while enhancing performance and promoting long-term musculoskeletal health in women. Through collaboration across specialties, the elective empowers students to learn about tailored, evidence-based care that supports the full spectrum of physical and athletic wellness.

Objectives of the Elective

By the end of this elective, through clinical exposure, interdisciplinary collaboration, and directed teaching, you will:

1. Expand knowledge of general sports medicine principles: Develop an understanding of physiological, anatomical, hormonal, and psychosocial factors unique to female athletes that influence injury patterns, recovery, and performance to improve patient care in sports medicine.
2. Improve injury prevention and treatment strategies in women: Learn interdisciplinary approaches to injury prevention, evaluation, and management for both acute and chronic sports-related conditions while addressing female-specific considerations in orthopedic sports medicine, primary care, physical therapy, and rheumatology.
3. Enhance collaborative care skills: Gain experience working within a multidisciplinary team, including orthopedic surgeons, primary care sports medicine specialists, physical therapists, nutritionists, and rheumatologists, to provide comprehensive care tailored to the unique needs of female athletes.
4. Understand the role of nutrition and physical therapy in performance optimization: Explore how targeted nutritional interventions and physical therapy strategies can support recovery and optimize athletic performance, with a focus on female-specific considerations and individualized patient-centered care.
5. Apply female-specific principles to performance enhancement: Develop the ability to incorporate evidence-based considerations related to female physiology and psychology into sports medicine care plans to ensure optimal outcomes for injury recovery and athletic performance.

Key Responsibilities of the student while on Elective

By enrolling in this introductory elective, you have agreed to:

1. Participate in at least 35 contact hours of education each week
2. Provide communication of any excused absences to the Office of Student Affairs (excused absence form) and to the elective coordinator, in a timely fashion 
3. Arrive in a timely fashion to all locations to which you are assigned  
4. Participate in daily morning rounds and patient care with residents and attendings
5. Be an active participant in the care of patients being followed by the team, as dictated by the resident/attending
6. Attend all didactics provided for trainees, as outlined below

Key Responsibilities of the preceptor/residents/faculty while you are on Elective

By accepting your enrollment in this introductory elective, the department has agreed to:

1. Clearly communicate their expectations of you
2. Maintain a supportive clinical learning environment 
3. Ensure that you have access to a broad case mix and clinical experience  
4. Provide the education necessary for you to gain an understanding of the patients and pathology reflective of this specialty
5. Provide feedback on your clinical skills

Didactic program

• 3 days with CWSM primary sports medicine provider (Dr. Natasha Desai, Dr. Julia Iafrate, Dr. Lauren Borowski)
• 3 days with CWSM orthopedic surgeon (Dr. Abigail Campbell, Dr. Ariana Lott)
• 1 day with pelvic floor/women’s health physical therapist (Rotation of selected PTs at Rusk Rehab) 
• 1 day with Dance Medicine physical therapist (Rotation of Harkness PTs)
• 1 day with nutritionist (Nicole Lund, MPH, RDN)
• 1 day with rheumatologist (Dr. Emily Gutowski)

Method of evaluation

Pass/Fail. Students are evaluated based on their performance during rotation, including knowledge base, ability to work as a team member and interactions with patients and peers.

Scheduling information

Duration: 2 Weeks
Months Offered: All year
Student point of contact before start of elective: Caroline Dannacher, Caroline.Dannacher@NYULangone.org
On day 1, students report to: Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health, 159 E 53rd St 5th floor, New York, NY 10022
Students per elective block: 1

Black out weeks:
July 4th week
Thanksgiving week
Week between Christmas and New Years Day