Mass-gatherings in sport : medicine, leadership and mentorship

Abstract

The World Health Organistion (WHO) defines a mass gathering as a planned or spontaneous event where the number of people attending could strain the planning and response resources of the community or country hosting the event. The seed for mass-gathering medicine as a specialty was sown in the 2009 Hajj, which was held during the 2009 HIN1 influenza pandemic. Major international sporting events are also mass gatherings that require the planning and delivery of healthcare, not only for the athlete and their team, but also for the attendees and event staff. Typically, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is appointed to lead a team of medical officers responsible for the planning, organising, managing and delivery of healthcare. In addition to a strong grasp of sports medicine, medical officers at sporting events need leadership and organisational skills, some of which are not typically taught at medical schools. Understanding the demands and challenges of the role may strengthen young sports medicine physicians’ aspirations to become a CMO in the future.