The past year has been a busy one for Mariam Zakhary, DO, Medical Director, and the Sports Medicine Fellowship Director at the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Mount Sinai. In addition to helping the USA Fencing team prepare for, and recover from, a record-setting gold medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they also welcomed a new partner to the program, the International Sumo League.
These partnerships are particularly notable for the Department and the fellows, says Dr. Zakhary, who is also Associate Professor of Sports Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Having opportunities like this for research in different athlete populations is essential for pushing sports and sports science forward,” she says.
From left to right, Sean Schowalter, MD; Richard Chang, MD; and Mariam Zakhary, DO, are part of the faculty of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Each individual offers specialized training opportunities—including ultrasound-guided procedures or regenerative medicine techniques—that put learning into action via unique partnerships with organizations.
In particular, the tie-in with the International Sumo League is valuable as it is a sport that has not been covered in the United States at an official level, and that creates opportunities to conduct vital research among a cohort of athletes who have largely gone unstudied, says Dr. Zakhary.
“We plan to investigate whether their workout plans are effective for them in the long run and the epidemiology of their injuries,” she notes.
Pushing the boundaries of sports medicine has been a hallmark of the program since it was founded in 2008 by Joseph Herrera, DO, the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, and Chair of Rehabilitation and Human Performance. It was the first program in the tristate area to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and continues to set standards for excellence in research, clinical care, and training through partnerships with a wide range of sports events, teams, and organizations.
Feathers in the Department’s cap are aplenty: previous partnerships have included USA Boxing and the New York City Marathon.
Athletes performing at a high level require a finesse of treatment to ensure they maintain peak performance. Fellows, such as Monica Gibilisco, DO, seen treating a USA Fencing athlete, get to build such skills through the fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine.
The Sports Medicine program has partnerships with a broad range of organizations, because it is important for fellows to experience a wide range of modalities. Dr. Schowalter, seen treating a USA Fencing athlete, has also worked with middle school athletes and Paralympians.
“We are providing coverage for everything from middle school sports all the way up to Olympic-level events,” Dr. Zakhary says. “I think that breadth makes us one of the most unique programs nationwide.”
That breadth has also made the program—the largest physical medicine and rehabilitation sports fellowship nationwide—attractive to trainees. Each year, there are approximately 100 resident applicants vying for the four fellowship spots. The competition is, in its own way, as fierce as that of any athletic event, notes Dr. Zakhary.
“Through our diverse coverage opportunities, our fellows learn more than the skills needed to become a team doctor and manage sports-related injuries,” Dr. Zakhary says. “They gain experience in coordinating trips and preparing emergency action plans, all of which is important in their training.”
New Directions
As talented alumni graduate from the fellowship, some return to shape its future. Sean Schowalter, MD, who is Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, has been appointed as the new director of ultrasound education. He is developing a more robust ultrasound curriculum that will deliver increased hands-on learning sessions and teaching opportunities designed to develop musculoskeletal ultrasound skills.
Another alum, Rebecca Maitin, DO, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, has established a sports medicine program focused on women athletes.
“The majority of sports medicine research has been focused on men,” Dr. Zakhary says. “We hope that by focusing on women and their biomechanical differences, we can optimize the care we provide to them.”
Treating athletes on-site at a competition can be tricky as all manners of injuries can occur, notes Dr. Zakhary, pictured treating an athlete at an International Sumo League match. For trainees to gain such hands-on experience at a fellowship program is fairly uncommon, she adds.
The program is also looking at collaborations within the Health System to enhance its health care delivery and the training that fellows receive. Most recently, they partnered with the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to create a new wellness center for women.
Other fellowship niches in the works include a focus on concussions, and regenerative medicine (looking at platelet-rich plasma therapy, prolotherapy injections, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy).
Even as Dr. Zakhary has her vision set for the program’s future, she is fully focused on her current engagements. The USA Fencing athletes are preparing for the 2028 Summer Olympics, and she and the program fellows will be headed to Los Angeles in April 2025 to provide support for the North American Cup.
“The more we grow, the more we can ensure that fellows have the training they need to keep the athletes they work with safe and healthy and get them back to their sport and to peak performance,” Dr. Zakhary says.
Featured
Mariam Zakhary, DO
Medical Director, Downtown Rehabilitation and Human Performance
Sean Schowalter, MD
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Human Performance