Key result
Osteopathic sports physicians are ~3x more likely female and rarely practice orthopedic surgery vs MDs.
Why the study?
Professional sports team physician roles remain predominantly filled by MD physicians, and the training pathways of DO team physicians are not well characterized.
Cross-Sectional (n=676)
Yes
US professional sports team physicians are predominantly MD-trained and male, with DOs and women underrepresented, particularly in orthopedic surgery.
DOs remain underrepresented in professional sports team physician roles; this Level 5 finding leaves open whether pathway interventions merit prospective evaluation.
CONTEXT: Team physicians (TPs) play a critical role in professional sports, providing medical care for athletes under high-pressure conditions. These positions are highly competitive, influenced by previous affiliations, training pedigree, and institutional connections, with fellowship training increasingly essential. Although the number of osteopathic (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [DO]) physicians in the United States has grown substantially, TPs in professional sports remain predominantly filled by allopathic (Doctor of Medicine [MD]) physicians, and the training pathways of DO TPs are not well characterized. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to compare the training and demographic characteristics of DO and MD TPs in professional sports leagues. METHODS: Publicly available sources were utilized to identify all DO and MD physicians serving as head team physicians (HTPs), TPs, or consulting physicians across seven major US professional sports leagues (National Football League [NFL], Major League Baseball [MLB], National Basketball Association [NBA], Women's National Basketball Association [WNBA], National Hockey League [NHL], Major League Soccer [MLS], and National Women's Soccer League [NWSL]). Data on gender, specialty, medical education, residency and fellowship training, years in practice, clinical practice type, practice setting, and research productivity were collected across the leagues for both osteopathic and allopathic training backgrounds. RESULTS: Among 676 TPs and consultants, most were MDs (93.3 %) and male (91.3 %), with DOs more often being female (22.2 % vs. 7.8 %) and in early-career stages (p<0.05). Specialty distribution differed by degree, with DOs overrepresented in Family Medicine (15.6 %) and underrepresented in orthopedic surgery (1.2 %) (p<0.001). Training locations partially aligned with current team affiliation, particularly for residency, but research productivity did not differ by degree. The majority practiced in urban settings within private or academic institutions, although DOs were less frequently urban-based (5.0 %) than MDs (p=0.028). CONCLUSIONS: US professional sports team physicians (PSTPs) are predominantly MD-trained and male, with DO physicians and women underrepresented, especially in orthopedic surgery. Career stage, research productivity, and practice settings were generally similar across degree types, highlighting potential external factors, such as the presence of longstanding institutional affiliations and informal referral networks, that may influence access to these roles.
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A 2026 study conducted a cross-sectional in Professional sports team physicians (n=676). Osteopathic (DO) training vs. Allopathic (MD) training was evaluated on Training and demographic characteristics. Among 676 US professional sports team physicians, osteopathic physicians were more likely to be female (22.2% vs 7.8%) and less likely to practice orthopedic surgery (1.2%) compared to MDs.
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