CASEM Across Canada – Get to know: Dr Luc De Garie

How long have you been a member of CASEM?

I have been a AQMSE member since 2015 and CASEM member since 2017. I finally received my diploma in sports and exercise medicine in 2022.

Any tips or advice for new members?

My greatest advice is:

• Get involved, hang out with seasoned sports med physician (like spending a full week in Paris with Dre Suzanne Leclerc and Dr Mike Wilkinson) and make sure you have fun.
• Be ready to learn as we are evolving in another dimension compared to our regular practice. SEM practice is more of a 24/7 practice than a 9 to 5 practice.
• Be ready for teamwork. We can’t do this alone. Surround yourself with professionals you can trust and can communicate easily with. It makes a world of a difference when you have questions or you need an ortho consult or a special radiology exam on a Thursday evening…
• It is so rewarding to work with athletes and active people.

What has been your biggest professional achievement?

Becoming president of the AQMSE after 1 year of practice (while I was not at the meeting when I was appointed) and joining the medical team at INS after only 2 years is pretty significant for me. I was then appointed CMO of the Short Track speed skating (STSS) world championship in 2021. I have overseen the medical team for the international STSS events since then.

I have also met many interesting individuals, from athletes to physicians from all around the globe,, but the highlight has been to interview Laurent Duvernay-Tardif for half an hour at the 2022 CASEM conference.

What’s a project you’re working on right now?

1. The biggest project I am involved with is a provincial committee working with the Ministry of Health to revamp the MSK trajectory in Quebec. The resources for the initial management and follow-up of those conditions are insufficient. We need to better coordinate the involvement of all the professionals involved in MSK care.
2. Another project for me is continuing medical education. Staying up to date with the current literature is vital to what we do, so I am involved on the scientific and concussion committees at the AQMSE and the publications committee at CASEM. I am also involved with Réseau Francophone Olympique de Recherche en Médecine du Sport

Highlight everything and anything you’re working on right now that you’d like to share with the members.

Finally, being hyperactive has its advantages 😉 In addition to regular practice (family medicine practice, teaching MSK clinics, INS clinic..), I am on the medical teams for short track speed skating, figure skating, fencing, trampoline and athletics national teams. … without forgetting that I have a family to take care of as an extracurricular activity!!!