Sports Medicine Training For Physicians Now Available at Idaho State

The primary care sports medicine fellowship is for physicians who have completed their residency training and are looking to do an extra year of specialized training in sports medicine. Phillip Van De Griend, MD, clinical associate professor and director of the program, says the easiest way to think about primary care sports medicine is that it is non-operative orthopaedic medicine, which can include a variety of different medical procedures and illnesses that affect athletes and their ability to play or return to play. Treatments are designed specifically for each individual and their needs. 

Dr. Tyler Kunz is the first physician to enroll in the program, and in his role as a sports medicine fellow, he provides direct access to patient care for ISU’s student athletes. 

Kunz is training with and working alongside more than 10 regional physicians and educators in the areas of: 

• Primary care sports medicine
• Orthopaedic sports medicine
• Podiatry
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Hand surgery 
• Sports nutrition
• Sports psychology
• Physical therapy
• Human performance and sports science
• Family medicine

“Athletes are constantly training for high level competitive play and often require a unique approach to treatment,” said Kunz. “I am thrilled to be learning alongside the region’s best doctors and specialists while providing first hand access to customized care for the student athletes at ISU.”

The benefit of having a sports medicine fellow available for ISU’s athletic teams, in addition to the team physician and athletic trainers, is that the gap between athletes and additional specialized health care providers shrinks to a minimum when there are multiple providers right there on the field, and on campus. 

The sports medicine fellowship program boosts not just the quantity of health care providers immediately available for student athletes to have access to, but the quality of care as well. The Kasiska Division of Health Sciences at ISU recently hired a physical therapist to provide direct access to individualized treatment for student athletes recovering from injuries. In addition, athletes undergo extreme pressure with their practice schedules, course workloads and team requirements. In 2025, ISU added an athletic and community mental health counselor to provide customized mental health services for student athletes. The interdisciplinary care team also includes a nutritionist who is specially certified in sports nutrition.

“Partnering with the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences in offering the sports medicine physician training and athletics focused providers here at ISU brings the quality of care we’re providing for our athletes to a new level,” said Pauline Thiros, director of athletics for the university. “It’s a win-win for our student athletes and the sports medicine fellow. The athletes can be seen by a physician training in specialized sports medicine immediately after an injury or at every major milestone throughout their treatment and recovery. We aim to help get athletes back into the game as soon as it is safe to do so, to avoid them missing critical practice and game play, and we are excited to be able to add to our team of providers while expanding learning opportunities for the sports medicine fellows at the same time.” 

Van De Griend believes that adding the sports medicine fellowship brings opportunities to expand the physician workforce in Idaho, which is a primary goal of the Department of Family Medicine and ISU as a whole. 

”A critical part of our mission at ISU is to grow the health care workforce and provider pipeline in Idaho, which is central to our efforts in bringing unique and specialized training and educational opportunities to the region,” said Rex Force, vice president for health sciences and senior vice provost. “In addition to supporting ISU Athletics, the sports medicine fellowship opens doors for physicians wishing to enhance their training and provides a mechanism for retaining much needed providers in rural areas of our state.” 

A hospitalist fellowship and wilderness medicine fellowship are also available through ISU’s Family Medicine Residency program. The primary care sports medicine fellowship program is the first at ISU to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.