The U.S. Olympic Committee's Sports Medicine Division recruits volunteer physicians every two years to work with Olympic teams, according to STAT.
Here is how to get to the Olympics:
1. Apply. Applicants must:
- Be licensed or certified
- Have at least three years of experience
- Have no felonies, disciplinary actions, or sanctions
- Have a current DEA registration
- Have at least $1 million in malpractice insurance
- Have current certification in using CPR and external defibrillators
- Be certified in sports medicine: some applicants will need additional coursework before they can apply to the Olympics
- Pay a $90 application fee to cover the background check
2. Visit a U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., Colorado Springs, Colo., or Lake Placid, N.Y., for further training, interviews and to care for athletes who are in training.
3. The USOC will routinely email applicants notice of volunteer medical rotations at national events like Olympics qualifiers or international events like the Pan American Games. Applications sign up for these rotations, which are assigned on a first-come first-serve basis. If they get an assignment, they must travel to the event at their own expense.
At these "tryout" events, applicants work alongside each other, evaluating and treating coaches, athletes and guests. They are on call for all emergencies and assist at the onsite sports medicine clinic, helping athletes put on tape or braces, stretch, or otherwise prepare. Applicants must attend all team practices, help set up and take down equipment, maintain paperwork and help with cleaning and laundry.
They can be sent home at any time.
4. Physicians vying for the Olympics can spend years working events and training while USOC further narrows down the applicant list. Usually, selected applicants receive an email informing them of their selection the year before they attend to Olympic athletes. Only the USOC knows the criteria for selection.
5. An athlete can also write a letter to the committee stating that they want to work with an applicant at the Olympics.
6. Olympic physicians must be prepared to spend time away from their practice without financial compensation.
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