American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Dec 07, 2016

AMSSM International Traveling Fellows Journey to Italy

LEAWOOD, Kan. — The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) is pleased to send a contingent of leaders in the field sports medicine to Italy as part of the International Traveling Fellowship Program, which is in its third year.

AMSSM Founder and Past President Rob Johnson, MD will serve as the Senior Traveling Fellows on the two-week journey, which lasts from November 30 through December 13, 2016. He will be joined by Junior Traveling Fellows Andy Peterson, MD and John Wilson, MD.

The Traveling Fellowship program offers an opportunity for academic exchange and clinical immersion for sports medicine physicians to teach and learn sports medicine on a global level.

“It is an incredible honor to represent AMSSM as a traveling fellow in Italy,” said Dr. Wilson, who serves as a team physician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I am looking forward to nurturing both professional and collaborative connections with our Italian Sports Medicine colleagues. As an AMSSM ambassador, along with Drs. Peterson and Johnson, I hope to represent our organization in a way that fosters a positive exchange of ideas and ultimately enhances the way we provide care to athletes and promote the health of our patients.”

This year’s program begins with several days in Rome, where the AMSSM group will experience a wide array of professional and cultural activities in the Italian capital. Each of AMSSM representatives will speak on selected topics during the course of the trip and dialogue with their Italian peers on current topics in the field of sports medicine.

The trip will allow the AMSSM members to reconnect with Drs. Arsenio Veicsteinas and Maurizio Casasco, the International 2016 Traveling Fellow who attended the 2016 AMSSM Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX and other events during his visit to the United States.

“I look forward to renewing acquaintances with Dr. Casasco and Professor Veicsteinas after their visit to Minnesota and the 2016 Annual Meeting,” said Dr. Johnson, a sports medicine physician at TRIA Orthopaedic Center. “We hope to exchange ideas regarding the care of athletes.”

One of the highlights for the Traveling Fellows will be participating in the XXXV Federazione Medico Sportivo Italiana (FMSI) National Congress, as well as visits to some of Italy’s top sports medicine universities. After spending nearly a week in Rome, the tour will take the AMSSM Traveling Fellows to Bologna, Milan, Turin and Venice and feature stops at sports medicine institutions and historic destinations alike.

This program was made possible by the generous support the AMSSM Foundation received from DJO Global. AMSSM wishes to thank DJO Global for its educational support of this exchange of ideas and knowledge by world leaders in sports medicine.

"We are excited to represent AMSSM through the traveling fellowship to Italy,” said Dr. Peterson, a team physician at the University of Iowa. “We will use this opportunity to nurture our own professional development and build collaborative relationships that will continue to benefit AMSSM and its members for years to come.

“We appreciate the support of DJO Global and AMSSM for this incredible opportunity.”

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org