Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine

1. GDSM is the first graduate Sports Medicine programme in Singapore.  
2. Be equipped with the knowledge and skills to confidently perform pre-participation screening for sports and exercise, manage general and sports-related musculoskeletal injuries in the primary care setting, and provide medical support for sports programmes and events.  
3. Scope of sports medicine practice includes prevention of common chronic diseases and treatment of general musculoskeletal injuries common in older people, which is most relevant for an ageing population.  
4. Juggle full-time clinical work with this flexible one-year part-time programme featuring blended learning including online lectures, practical workshops, and clinical attachment.
5. The GDSM programme is taught by Sports Medicine Specialists, Senior Physiotherapists and Sport Scientists. 
6. Endorsed by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC), 50 CME points (non-core points for non-Sports Medicine specialist) will be awarded to SMC-registered doctors upon successful completion.
7. Opportunities to learn and network with fellow healthcare professionals
8. Developed by Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University (ranked 13th in the world in the 2021 QS World University Rankings and 2nd in Asia in the 2020 QS World University Rankings) in partnership with Changi General Hospital
9. Up to $1,500 SkillsFuture credit available for Singapore citizens to subsidise tuition fees 

WHY GDSM?

"While sports medicine has its roots in caring for athletes, it can also play important roles in chronic disease prevention and management, and in caring for the elderly who are prone to musculoskeletal injuries.​

Equipping general practitioners and family medicine physicians with this additional knowledge and skillset brings care to the heartlands, so that injuries can be prevented and managed at the primary care level, and more complicated cases can be promptly referred to the specialist clinics."

Dr Fabian Lim  
Programme Director, GDSM

"P​rior to this, such courses were only available in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine will provide doctors interested in sports and exercise medicine with an accessible and professionally recognised training programme that will benefit both their practice and patients.

Furthermore, there is increasing evidence regarding the role of physical activity in the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes. The skills imparted will enable doctors to use exercise as a tool in the battle against these diseases with confidence.”

Adjunct A/P​rof Roger Tian
Senior Consultant, Singapore Sport & Medicine Centre @ Changi General Hospital
Course Director (Clinical), GDSM

"S​ports injuries see better outcomes w​hen given prompt attention, and that is why primary care doctors need to be better equipped to manage these injuries."

Adjunct A/Prof Benedict Tan
Chief of Sport & Exercise Medicine, Singapore Sport & Medicine Centre @ Changi General Hospital
Chairman, GDSM Advisory Committee

HEAR FROM OUR ALUMNI

"I am a geriatrician and my sub-specialty is in Falls and Balance. My initial interest in this course was sparked by the gap I felt when I was seeing my patients, and many of them have musculoskeletal issues either causing the falls and/or caused by the falls. I felt ill-equipped to manage their issues. Beyond referring to the physiotherapist, I had close to zero practical knowledge about the management of musculoskeletal problems. This course has greatly equipped me with the skills of assessing musculoskeletal issues and some basic management principles. Lastly, what I learned about muscle health and exercise prescription have also revolutionised the way I counsel my patients about physical activity and the management of sarcopenia.

I would also like to mention the trans-disciplinary nature of GDSM and how this approach, I feel, is increasingly important in healthcare. We were taught by not just doctors but also exercise physiologists and physiotherapists. I got acquainted again with some topics that are important to health maintenance and healthcare but often neglected in our often disease-centric approach in medicine. These include topics like diet and nutrition, physical activity and exercise, and how to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

A trans-disciplinary approach involves transcending professional boundaries, acting collaboratively, continuous co-learning amongst the team members, culminating in shared goals and humanistic care of the patient. And I definitely see this approach embedded within GDSM."

Dr Yap Kwee Yong
Class of 2022
Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, TTSH

"There are many post graduate sports medicine programmes offered overseas but commitment to these overseas courses may present many challenges for the physicians as they involve travel for onsite attachments and course assessments. Joining a local course makes perfect sense for me as
the programme negates these barriers and the syllabus is catered to suit the local sports context.
The GDSM allows for a more holistic approach to the management of athletes and patients with sports injuries. It also allows me to prescribe exercise to my patients with greater confidence.

This programme is recommended to physicians who wants to have an overview on the
management of sports injuries, prescribing exercises and the various resources available for people to keep fit and healthy."

Dr Mohammad Ashik Bin Zainuddin
Class of 2022
Head ＆ Senior Consultant
Sport and Exercise Medicine Service, KKH

"Many of my patients have various symptoms related to their musculoskeletal system as well.
Hence, I think that I can be a better doctor if I am able to provide appropriate advice to my patients.

The course has been extremely helpful. With better clinical skills in diagnosing musculoskeletal problems, I can better diagnose their problems and provide appropriate advice on evaluation of their musculoskeletal symptoms.

Being able to prescribe exercise and work with physiotherapists and podiatrists to prescribe the appropriate therapy and follow up the patient’s progress have also been fulfilling. In the past,
I would just refer patients for physiotherapy but now I am able to have a discussion with physiotherapists on actual therapy with measurable outcomes. In addition, I can also give advice to them on avoiding injuries.

With GDSM, I can work better with my colleagues in orthopaedics and radiology as we now have a common understanding of the patient’s problems. Overall, I find the course to be beneficial and I
will strongly encourage other doctors to enrol in the programme. I would like to thank all the
lecturers and staff of the GDSM course for making this a most enjoyable course."

Dr Lim Chun Leng Michael   
Class of 2022 
Cardiologist, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore

The GDSM curriculum combines online lectures and workshops to cater to the needs of me​dical doctors, who must maintain operation of their clinics concurrently. The ratio of online (72 hours) to contact-hours (53 hours), therefore, balances competency development with flexibility for participants. To complement the online mode of teaching, students will also have access to consultation-sessions with the respective facilitator for each module.

The practical components of the programme comprise workshops held at LKCMedicine’s Novena campus on weekends and clinical / field attachments. Clinical attachments will be offered at participating Sports Medicine clinics. 

Faculty

Clinical/Field Attachments

Students will be attached to sports medicine departments at participating sports medicine clinics to observe sports medicine clinicians practising on actual cases. Where possible, and if there are suitable ongoing sporting events, the clinical attachment will also include medical cover of sporting events.

Summary Training

Assessments & Examination

Tuition Fee

Notes 

Funding

Payment Mode