Will sports medicine physicians be replaced by AI?
Updated
Sports medicine physicians score 40 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 89%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 4% outright, and 7% stays with people.
- 4% AI can do it
- 89% AI helps
- 7% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 53% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 27 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 24 and leaves 2 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Record athletes' medical care information, and maintain medical records. Scribes and templates can draft and file care records. | 75% AI can do it |
| Inform athletes about nutrition, hydration, dietary supplements, or uses and possible consequences of medication. AI answers nutrition and supplement questions well; physician reviews advice. | 60% AI helps |
| Develop and prescribe exercise programs, such as off-season conditioning regimens. AI drafts conditioning programs well; physician adjusts and approves. | 60% AI helps |
| Conduct research in the prevention or treatment of injuries or medical conditions related to sports and exercise. AI speeds literature review, analysis, and drafting; researcher directs. | 55% AI helps |
| Advise athletes on ways that substances, such as herbal remedies, could affect drug testing results. AI can look up substance and testing info; physician advises athletes. | 55% AI helps |
| Provide education and counseling on illness and injury prevention. AI drafts prevention materials; counseling delivered by the physician. | 50% AI helps |
| Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures. AI can draft result summaries; physician must interpret and decide. | 45% AI helps |
| Participate in continuing education activities to improve and maintain knowledge and skills. AI summarizes literature and courses; learning itself is self-directed. | 45% AI helps |
| Refer athletes for specialized consultation, physical therapy, or diagnostic testing. Referral letters and routing can be drafted; physician chooses specialists. | 45% AI helps |
| Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Imaging and exam summaries aid diagnosis; physician leads treatment decisions. | 40% AI helps |
Show the other 17 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Coordinate sports care activities with other experts, including specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, or coaches. Scheduling and summaries assist; coordination needs human contact. | 40% AI helps |
| Develop and test procedures for dealing with emergencies during practices or competitions. AI drafts emergency plans and scenarios; drills need human testing. | 40% AI helps |
| Advise coaches, trainers, or physical therapists on the proper use of exercises and other therapeutic techniques, and alert them to potentially dangerous practices. AI can draft exercise guidance; physician judges risky practices. | 40% AI helps |
| Record athletes' medical histories, and perform physical examinations. Intake forms and scribes help history; hands-on exam stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries. Screening questionnaires automate parts; physical evaluation stays manual. | 35% AI helps |
| Inform coaches, trainers, or other interested parties regarding the medical conditions of athletes. Drafting updates helps; confidentiality decisions stay with physician. | 30% AI helps |
| Prescribe medications for the treatment of athletic-related injuries. AI checks interactions and dosing; prescribing stays with licensed clinician. | 30% AI helps |
| Advise athletes, trainers, or coaches to alter or cease sports practices that are potentially harmful. Drafting advice is easy; the call on stopping practice is human. | 25% AI helps |
| Supervise the rehabilitation of injured athletes. AI can track progress notes; supervision requires in-person oversight. | 25% AI helps |
| Prescribe orthotics, prosthetics, and adaptive equipment. Prescription needs physical measurement and fitting by clinician. | 25% AI helps |
| Evaluate and manage chronic pain conditions. AI supports record review and plans; pain assessment is clinical. | 25% AI helps |
| Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury. Return-to-play risk judgment rests with the physician in person. | 20% AI helps |
| Examine, evaluate and treat athletes who have been injured or who have medical problems such as exercise-induced asthma. Treatment and examination are hands-on; AI helps only with documentation. | 20% AI helps |
| Observe and evaluate athletes' mental well-being. Screening tools assist; observing mental state needs live judgment. | 20% AI helps |
| Provide coaches and therapists with assistance in selecting and fitting protective equipment. Equipment selection and fitting are physical tasks done in person. | 20% AI helps |
| Select and prepare medical equipment or medications to be taken to athletic competition sites. Physically packing and preparing kits at competition sites. | 10% Needs a person |
| Attend games and competitions to provide evaluation and treatment of activity-related injuries or medical conditions. Sideline presence and hands-on injury treatment at events. | 8% Needs a person |
How sports medicine physicians compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $265,930 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 57,120 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +3.4% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Perform sideline evaluations and hands-on injury treatment at events
- Hold a state medical licence and CAQSM sports medicine certification
- Check AI-drafted care notes in Epic Systems before signing
- Adjust AI-drafted conditioning programs before prescribing them to athletes
- Fit protective equipment with coaches and therapists in person
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about sports medicine physicians and AI
Will AI replace sports medicine physicians?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly recording athletes' medical care, maintaining medical records, and drafting exercise programs. Hands-on examination, sideline treatment, and return-to-play decisions stay with the physician in person.
Which tasks is AI taking over for sports medicine physicians?
Record keeping has the highest exposure at 75 out of 100, because scribes and templates can draft and file care records. Nutrition, hydration, and supplement advice follows at 60, since AI answers those questions well, and the physician reviews the result before it reaches an athlete.
Which tasks stay with sports medicine physicians?
Attending games to evaluate and treat injuries scores 8 out of 100, the lowest exposure of any task in this job. Preparing medical kits for competition sites scores 10. Both need a person physically present at the event, so the physician stays in the room with the athlete.
How can sports medicine physicians stay valuable as AI takes on documentation?
Spend the hours AI frees on hands-on work, such as sideline evaluations and return-to-play examinations. Check every AI-drafted exercise program and supplement answer before it reaches an athlete. Keep your state licence and CAQSM certification current, and lead the review of AI-drafted notes in Epic Systems or eClinicalWorks.
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