The Specialist in Sports and Exercise Medicine must have gained theoretical, scientific and professional knowledge relating to the medicine of physical-motor and sports activities, with a prevalent interest in protecting the health of practitioners of these activities in physiological and pathological conditions. He is therefore competent in the pathophysiology of motor activities according to the different types of physical exercise as well as in the functional assessment, diagnostics and clinic related to motor and sports activities in developmental, adult and elderly age and in states of illness and disability.

Basic learning objectives: the student must learn the fundamental principles of biomechanics, structure and function of the systems directly and indirectly involved in motor and sports activities, and acquire the main knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms and biochemical, genetic and nutritional correlations from childhood to adulthood, as well as the ability to statistically process the data collected;

Objectives of the general training: the student must acquire knowledge of epidemiology, methodology and physical, instrumental and laboratory semiotics, as well as bioimaging diagnostics, including nuclear medicine;

Educational objectives of the type of School: the student must:

• acquire in-depth knowledge of general and differential diagnostics and competence for the therapeutic treatment of acute morbid conditions frequently found in the practice of the sports doctor;
• be able to carry out a complete clinical and instrumental evaluation of the athlete, at rest and under stress and acquire the tools for a correct evaluation of neuro- and psychomotor behaviors and motivations to practice sports, especially in developmental age;
• know the pathologies of internal, cardiological and orthopedic-traumatological interest that limit and contraindicate physical and sporting activity, as well as the pathologies possibly caused by sports activity;
• know the effects of drugs on performance capacity with particular regard to toxicological aspects;
• acquire the main concepts of therapy and rehabilitation in the various traumatological injuries of sporting interest, know the main first aid techniques and be able to recognize urgent and emergency conditions, including those of a toxic or traumatic nature;
• know the influence of sports activity on pre-existing pathologies and its use for therapeutic purposes;
• know the organization and resources of service medicine and acquire an active role in the implementation of the objectives of well-being and health protection of all physical activity practitioners in local communities;
• acquire knowledge of the fundamental concepts relating to the following areas: theory of movement and sport; methodology and practice of sports training; regulation of the various sports specialties; national and international sports organization;
• compare its motivations and moral foundations with the ethics that the health protection of the human person imposes, knowing the legal and health organization aspects of the profession and with an adequate representation of the progressive scientific development of medicine.

Integrated training objectives (i.e. common trunk): the student must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the clinical and instrumental diagnosis and treatment, even in emergency-urgency conditions, of the most common internal pathologies. The student must acquire the fundamental knowledge of the pathophysiology of the various organs and systems, the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for the recognition of diseases affecting the different systems of the body, the theoretical and practical knowledge of the main sectors of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics related to the aforementioned diseases, the acquisition of the ability to evaluate internal and specialist connections and influences. He must therefore be able to recognize the symptoms and clinical-functional signs with which diseases of various organs and systems manifest themselves, having acquired the fundamental diagnostic, therapeutic, psychological and ethical knowledge necessary for a global vision of the patient. To this end, the ability to clinically frame the patient on the basis of the anamnesis and physical examination must mature; develop critical and analytical diagnostic skills; become familiar with the main diagnostic procedures and laboratory-instrumental investigations; recognise and be able to deal with major medical emergencies; familiarize themselves with therapeutic resources in order to plan their optimal use and recognize their indications and contraindications, as well as the effects of interaction and possible iatrogenic accidents; acquire the fundamental notions relating to clinical research methodologies and pharmacological trials; know the fundamental problems related to prevention, public health and social medicine. The resident must have acquired satisfactory theoretical knowledge and professional competence in the recognition and treatment, in emergency-urgency conditions, of the most common pathologies. Finally, the resident must also know, from a clinical and therapeutic point of view, the most common pathologies of competence of the other types of the class.

The following are compulsory professionalizing activities for the achievement of the educational purposes of the type:

• participation in the evaluation of at least 200 judgments of suitability, of which 40 derive from the supplementary evaluation of instrumental and/or laboratory examinations for problems in the cardiology, internal medicine and orthopaedic fields;
• participation in the development and monitoring of 20 post-traumatic and post-orthopaedic reconstructive rehabilitation protocols" as well as the acquisition of different functional bandage techniques for trauma and/or chronic sports diseases;
• participation in at least 10 clinical and functional evaluation experiences in the laboratory and/or on the field in physically disabled athletes;
• the direct and autonomous performance of at least 30 functional ergometric assessments in patients with chronic cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic diseases, with indication of the related training programs and 30 assessments in subjects with cardiovascular and/or respiratory pathology;
• participation in the formulation of at least 10 training programs in 4 sports disciplines (2 with prevalent anaerobic activity and 2 with prevalent aerobic activity);
• a period of attendance of at least 30 days in an Emergency Department (emergency room);
• participation in the conduct, according to the rules of good clinical practice, of at least 3 pathophysiological and/or controlled clinical trials.

The student will be able to compete for the diploma after completing the professionalizing activities.

As part of the training course, the student will have to learn the scientific bases of the type of School in order to achieve full maturity and professional competence that includes an adequate ability to interpret scientific innovations and critical knowledge that allows him to consciously manage both assistance and his own updating; In this context, participation in meetings, congresses and the production of scientific publications and periods of attendance in qualified Italian and foreign institutions useful for his/her training may be envisaged.