A lifetime dedicated to sports medicine has recently led Miguel del Valle Soto (Villaviciosa, 9-29-1955) to the presidency of the Spanish Society of Sports Medicine, at a particularly delicate time for the specialty. His great challenge is to recover training, even if he is no longer university, and above all to dignify the work of sports doctors. “Except for four high-level clubs, people think we have to work for free,” he says.
– What does this appointment mean?
– A challenge and a satisfaction. I have always been linked to the governing bodies, trying to collaborate. In Asturias we were always a little parked, although we are among the best not only in Spain, but in the world. We have a barn of tremendously good specialists. One of the successes was bringing the European Congress of Sports Medicine to Oviedo. I think it was the best in history, with 800 congressmen and the level of the speakers was maximum.
– Is there a replacement for the first generation of specialists?
– Mine was one of the first generations that were formed at the School of Sports Medicine of the University of Oviedo. As the specialty disappeared a few years ago and those who were training were not Asturian, there is a void. Right now in Asturias we don’t have young doctors.
– Will the specialty return?
–That is one of our demands. You have to recover the specialty. By European regulations it cannot be university, but linked to a hospital, like any other specialty.
– Was the training impoverished?
“In a way, yes.” If the specialty does not return, this will be extinguished. And that would be a big problem for sports and for the protection of the health of athletes, for example with doping. It is also important for the protection of the health of the general population. Because one of the functions we have is to prevent chronic diseases, or to help treat them through physical exercise.
– Are specialists scarce?
–One of the objectives of the School of Sports Medicine is to reopen the consultations, but we have problems finding a specialist. People call me asking for doctors to work in certain places, I look for and can’t find anyone.
– And what is the state of health of the Society?
– Like all scientific societies, one of its functions is to ensure the protection of specialists. My main objective is to recover the specialty and I believe that we are on the right track. We know that the new specialties law will include Sports Medicine. But other times, when we were at the gates, a change of minister would come and everything would break down. It is about having a specialty and that instead of three years go to four. Another objective is to work in the defense of specialists and recover a dignified profession. People think that the specialist in Sports Medicine does not have to charge as much as others when we are doctors who did a specialty like any other. Except for four top-level clubs, people think we have to work for free.
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