Answering the call to join the medical profession means dedicating yourself to helping others lead better, healthier lives. In the sports medicine program, you will build a foundation for professional success, whether you go on the medical school or another professional track. You’ll receive an intensive, in-depth education that is distinctively Samford; you’ll study subjects not always offered in graduate school, such as nutrition and exercise science, both of which are essential to a true understanding of the human health. Our prevention-oriented curriculum provides invaluable training in kinesiology, exercise physiology, exercise prescription and other areas that complement basic science courses required for medical school. With an emphasis on outstanding classroom teaching, undergraduate research, MCAT preparation, mentoring and service, the sports medicine program not only prepares students for medical school, it allows them to begin living out their calling to serve others through medicine.
Why Samford
There are a number of reasons to consider studying sports medicine at Samford, including rigorous academics, a committed, passionate faculty and a long track record of successful graduates moving on to some of the most prestigious medical schools and graduate programs in the country. Here, you will also find:
- Low student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom
- Dedicated faculty mentors and instructors who will help you pursue excellence as you identify your calling
- Excellent internship opportunities in major health care facilities in metro Birmingham, one of the nation’s most advanced health care communities
- An academic adviser in addition to a health professions mentor who will guide your progress toward medical school
- Medical mission trip opportunities that allow you to serve alongside experienced health care professionals in clinical settings
- Rigorous curriculum that is updated as needed to reflect ever-evolving trends and practices in medicine
- Faculty mentored research opportunities in which many students have won regional and national awards
- An innovative learning environment designed to foster interprofessional collaboration and experiential learning and you study alongside students in other health care disciplines as part of Samford’s College of Health Sciences
Admission Requirements
Prospective students must receive admission to Samford University.
Students and applicants with disabilities who seek accommodations must make a request by contacting the Section 504/Disability Access and Accommodation Coordinator, 205-726-4078 or disability@samford.edu.
Outcomes
Our sports medicine graduates receive extensive training in preventative medicine such as nutrition, exercise, fitness and weight management that prepares them for entrance into graduate programs in medical, dental, physician assistant, optometry or even pharmacy school.
Accreditations
Samford University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Our Commitment
“Strong academics, competitive athletics and a surrounding Christian influence make Samford University a very distinctive center of learning and a place for personal growth. The dedicated and caring faculty and staff in the Kinesiology Department, coupled with programs of study that truly prepare students for employment or professional schools is a combination not found elsewhere. The Sports Medicine (Pre-med) major is unique as it not only contains all the prerequisites for medical school in a four year program, but it includes a 60-hour internship with a physician plus an emphasis in preventive medicine courses such as nutrition and exercise science that are not generally available in other majors at other schools.”
- Dr. Jim Angel, Professor and Sports Medicine program director
Life in the Program
“My experience at Samford has been a memorable four years. Sports Medicine was a great fit for me because I was able to combine my pursuit of medical school with the pre-med courses required while also fulfilling my interest in kinesiology centered classes such as Sports Nutrition. The small class size and passion that the professors have for their respective areas helped motivate me to not just memorize the material but to learn and enjoy it. I would recommend incoming students to not confine the material they learn to the classroom. I was able to realize, for example, the body is an amazing machine and from what is learned, ask questions and seek to solve and discuss problems. If we as students are to be the next generation of health care professionals, then pushing, questioning and exploring the mechanisms of the body starts now.”
-Shanika Thomas, Sports Medicine major, class of 2014
