United States Medical Soccer Team

USMST competed in the 2016 World Medical Football Championships in Barcelona, Spain from July 9-16, 2016. The weeklong event featured an outstanding international soccer tournament pitting physician teams from 22 countries at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, practice home of FC Barcelona. USMST competed mightily, finishing 4th in the Masters bracket but finding the competition much stiffer in the Open bracket, playing hard in the consolation rounds. Overall, the matches were competitive and USMST left Barcelona optimistic about finishing even stronger in the 2017 Championships in Leogang, Austria.

Five physicians from the team gave well-received presentations at the 2016 Global Congress on Medicine and Health in Sport. Felipe Lobelo’s presentation was awarded as one of the best in the Congress, though all the talks made the weeklong medical conference truly outstanding. Here are the presentations:

Felipe Lobelo, MD PhD: Effectiveness of Brief Counseling and an Exercise Referral Among Hypertensive Patients: The Exercise is Medicine Cluster Randomized Pragmatic Trial

David Machado-Aranda, MD: The Michigan Surgical and Health Optimization Program (MSHOP). Taking Control of your Surgery.

Suraj Achar, MD: Abuse of anabolicandrogenic steroids in athletes

Gautam Nayak, MD: Exercise is Medicine. But What is the Optimal Dose?

Ricardo Vasquez-Duarte: A Conclusive Methodologic Approach to Ultrasound of the Piriformis: A Pilot Study

Ricardo Vasquez-Duarte

Suraj Achar

Felipe Lobelo

David Machado

Gautam Nayak with Ricard Casamor, Tournament Organizer

The Closing Ceremony brought everyone together for one last hurrah to re-visit the incredible Barcelona experience and plan for next year’s WMFC in Leogang, Austria!

A big highlight of the trip included the first ever children’s soccer matches, with WMFC kids from around the world having the incredible opportunity to play together on Messi’s practice fields! Needless to say, these games were the true highlight for the kids and their parents!