Accessibility of the Team Physician

The transition to the care of the college student-athlete carries with it a number of adjustments. In private practice it is customary to make medical decisions and initiate therapies from the confines of the examination room. The doctor-patient relationship is the principal focus. Although this relationship remains paramount in college athletics, the world of concerned and affected parties dramatically expands. It is in this context that the authors explore the concept of access in the role of a team physician. To use what is becoming an over used cliché, what makes one a valued team physician is being “the right person, in the right place at the right time.”