Sports Medicine
Our Passion is to train phenomenal physicians to provide compassionate, whole-person sports medicine and MSK care.
The Waco Family Medicine – Sports Medicine Fellowship is unique. Housed in an FQHC dedicated to equity in care for the medically underserved, the fellowship has a dual focus. In addition to the usual care for athletes and team sports, we also train for a more robust skill set needed for lifestyle and MSK medicine. We build flexibility into the curriculum to develop your fellowship your way—for your future practice.
Structure
- One-year, ACGME-approved fellowship
- 1-2 fellows
- Competitive PGY-4 salary and benefits
- Curriculum – Learn More
Collaborations
Waco Family Medicine
A federally qualified health center caring for nearly 60,000 patients in McLennan County.
Ascension Orthopedics
Waco Independent School District
Comprised of 15,000 students and UIL Class 4-A athletics
Baylor University
Health, Human Performance, and Recreation
Faculty & Educators
Brock Niceler MD
Fellowship DirectorSports Fellowship: University of Utah
Interests: MSK procedures, wilderness medicine, faculty development
Oluwarotimi O. Adesina MD
Associate Fellowship DirectorSports Fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Interests: pediatric sports medicine, concussion management
Chad Conner MD
Faculty – Sports OrthopedicsSports Fellowship: Southern California Orthopedics Institute
Nolan Malthesen MD
Faculty – Sports OrthopedicsSports Fellowship: University of Texas Health Science Center
Kevin Caperton MD
Faculty – Sports OrthopedicsSports Fellowship: University of Colorado
2026-27 Fellows
Justin Lowder, DO
Originally from a small farming community in Southern Colorado, Dr. Lowder brings a strong work ethic shaped by both hard work and outdoor play. He completed his undergraduate studies at BYU–Idaho, where he met his wife, and together they’ve grown their family while navigating medical training. After completing Family Medicine residency in Anderson, South Carolina, he is excited to join Waco Family Medicine for a year of sports medicine training. His interests include procedural medicine, POCUS, OMT, and sports medicine, with the goal of practicing full-spectrum family medicine in a small community. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors with his family.
Jewell Roth, DO
A San Diego native, Dr. Roth earned her bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from UCLA before completing medical school at COMP–Northwest in Oregon. She couples matched into Family Medicine at Baylor Scott & White in Temple, Texas. Her clinical interests include sports medicine, injury prevention and recovery, nutrition, performance optimization, and advancing the use of ultrasound in primary care. She also has a growing passion for wilderness and diving medicine. Outside the clinic, she enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle and spending time with her fiancé, Branden, and their pets, June and Stormy.
Curriculum
Fall
- Orientation
- In-training exam
- Sideline preparedness / event coverage course
- Football season
- Sat AM injury clinic
- Exercise phys. conference
- Exercise phys. lab
- Mass participation event conference
- Submit AMSSM abstract
- Sports journal club
Winter
- Sports cardiology conf.
- Basketball season
- Mass participation event coverage
- Ultrasound conf.
- In-training exam
- Exercise phys. journal club
Spring
- Baseball season
- AMSSM conf.
- Pre-participation exams
- Journal club (misc.)
- Board prep
Sample Weekly Schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Fam Med Sports | Exercise phys. lab | Ortho Sports | Elective | Peds Sports | Football injury clinic |
| Afternoon | Didactics | Primary care clinic | Elective | Elective | Elective | |
| Evening | Training Room | Friday night football |
Electives and Didactics
Ascension Orthopedics
- Pediatric Sports
- Sports Orthopedics
- Ortho Spine
- Foot and Ankle
- Hand and Wrist
- Radiology
- Ultrasound
- Cardiology
- Physical Therapy
Waco Family Medicine
- Family Medicine Sports
- Procedures
- Ultrasound
- Global health
- Medical Spanish
- Acupuncture
- Grant Writing
- Reading Elective
- Research
- Occupational Therapy
Didactics
- Afternoon weekly lecture series (see topics)
- Special conferences / workshops
- Sideline/event preparedness
- Exercise physiology
- Mass participation event
- Sports cardiology
- Ultrasound
- Specialist lectures
- Orthopedic sports
- Orthopedic specialists
- Radiology rounds
- Exercise physiologist
- Journal club meetings
- National conferences
- AMSSM
- Plus funds for one additional conference
- National lectures
- Sports Fellowship on-line lecture series
- Sports cardiology modules
- Sports ultrasound modules
Afternoon Lecture Series
| July August | Orientation Medico-legal/administration Sports Medicine Emergency preparedness Sideline and event coverage |
| September October November | Musculoskeletal sports medicine Musculoskeletal ultrasound Mass participation events Sports cardiology |
| December January | Pediatric sports medicine Finish ultrasound curriculum |
| February March | Gen Med sports medicine |
| April May | Environmental sports medicine Wilderness sports medicine Special popluations |
| June | Board review |