Sports Participation & Medical Clearance of Student-Athletes

 

Health Service and the Sports Medicine Department must screen all student-athletes in order to participate in intercollegiate athletics.  All requirements must be completed fully before the student-athletes may practice.  Athletes will not be partially cleared by either Health Service or the Sports Medicine Department.  It is the student Ð athleteÕs responsibility to refrain from participation in practices or conditioning programs until fulfilling all requirements. It is the responsibility of the head coach to inform the athlete of the teams selected physical examination date and to insure that all student-athletes are cleared for participation.

 

Each preseason student-athletes are not allowed to participate with his/her team due to failure to fulfill all of the sport participation requirements.  The most common reasons are:

 

1.No pre-entrance physical on file with Bowdoin College Health Center.

2.Immunization records incomplete.

3.Insurance information form either not on file or incomplete.

4.Failure to complete orthopedic evaluation with sports medicine department.

 

Medical Requirements

 

Pre-Participation / Medical History Questionnaire

Student-athletes have the responsibility to truthfully and fully disclose their medical history and report any changes in their health to the team health care provider. The questionnaire must be filled out each season in the athletic training facility.  The procedure includes general health and orthopedic evaluation, previous injuries screening, height, weight, blood pressure and pulse.  The university physician and/or team physician or their designee is the final authority concerning when the student-athlete may return to partial or full participation following a previous injury or illness.

 

Pre-Entrance Physicals

All freshman, transfer and first year student-athletes must obtain a physical from his/her personal physician prior to entering the college.  This form must be on file at the Dudley Coe Health Center prior to participation in any sports related activity.

 

Medications

The athlete will be required to list all medications and the dosages that are being taken on this form.  Athletes who are prescribed inhalers must bring a second inhaler to be kept in the possession of the sports medicine staff.  The inhaler must be clearly labeled with the athleteÕs name and prescription.  Student-athletes who have epi-pens prescribed to them in the event of an allergic reaction must bring a second epi-pen to be kept in the possession of the sports medicine staff. The epi-pen must be clearly labeled with the athleteÕs name and prescription.

 

Rehabilitation

Athletes who have been receiving rehabilitation off-campus must bring a prescription from their physician.  Athletes should bring copies of all rehabilitation notes if rehabilitation is to be continued in a Bowdoin College Sports Medicine facility.

 

Recent Surgery

All student-athletes who have had surgery within the past one-year must submit a physicianÕs note stating that they are cleared for full participation in their particular sport.

 

Insurance Information Form

Each year a new insurance information form must be filled out and on file in the sports medicine facility in order to be eligible for practicing or conditioning.

 

Helmet Safety Statement

Athletes participating in football must be read, sign, and date a helmet safety form each season.

 

Medical Records

The sports medicine department records are considered a medical record.  Sports Medicine records and the information that they contain are considered confidential and private.  Written permission, signed by the student-athlete, that authorizes the release of medical information to others must specify which information may be released and to whom.   Medical records are maintained during the athleteÕs collegiate career and for 7 years thereafter.

Student-Athlete Walk-ons

At Bowdoin College students may not tryout for a team unless both Health Service and the athletic training department have cleared the athlete.  Walk-ons may not participate in any intercollegiate activity until they have fulfilled all the pre participation physical requirements.  It is the both the athleteÕs and the coachÕs responsibility to determine if an athlete is cleared prior to participation.