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The Indiana University School of Medicine Motorsports Medicine Fellowship prepares physicians to manage ultra high-velocity motor sports injuries.

Motorsports Medicine Fellowship Curriculum

The Indiana University School of Medicine Motorsports Medicine Fellowship prepares physicians to manage ultra high-velocity motor sports injuries. Fellows engage in:

  • initial response to on-track motorsports incidents
  • physical examination and qualification of drivers
  • crash and injury prevention activities
  • safety equipment
  • car design
  • track design
  • factors influencing drivers
  • examination and treatment of ultra high-velocity crash victims
  • post-crash incident investigation
  • data collection and analysis of ultra high-speed crashes
  • correlation of injury and crash type
  • race and crash physics
  • review of motorsports-related journal articles

Fellows also learn about the unique aspects of health care delivery during mass gathering events, including:

  • staffing and equipping first aid stations and care centers
  • considerations of environmental conditions and their effect on injury/illness patterns
  • developing a philosophy of out-of-hospital patient care
  • medical recordkeeping and maintenance
  • transport considerations
  • training and supervision of emergency medical technicians/ancillary personnel
  • risk management issues
  • specialized care
  • trauma center affiliation and coordination
  • communication systems
  • public safety coordination and communications
  • recruitment and management of medical and nursing staff
  • evaluation and treatment of patients in an out-of-hospital facility with limited resources
  • resource utilization
  • determination of patient disposition
  • review of journal articles related to mass gathering medicine
Drs. Julia Vaizer and Leonard Edwards post for a selfie on the race track.

Didactics

Goals and objectives of the fellowship are met through a variety of experiences, including:
  • attendance at didactic presentations
  • on-track experience with staff track surface physicians at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at other racing venues on the INDYCAR circuit
  • extrication training with the INDYCAR Safety Team Clinical activities in the IU Health Infield Care Center
  • one-on-one discussions with experts from other disciplines (i.e., legal, safety, law enforcement, engineering, etc.).

Fellows work with board certified emergency medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons and other disciplines. Clinical evaluation is through direct observation and chart review by the medical director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the medical director of the INDYCAR Series and by other emergency medicine physicians, as well as non-physician faculty working in the IU Health Infield Care Center and at other racing venues. Fellows are expected to complete a scholarly activity related to motorsports medicine and to present at the International Council of Motorsports Sciences Annual Congress.