UT Tyler School of Medicine Welcomes Incoming Sports Medicine Fellowship Class

TYLER, Texas (August 15, 2023) –The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine welcomed a new cohort of students, Dr. Pauline Skowron and Dr. Alex Wang, to its Sports Medicine Fellowship program.

Skowron, a graduate of Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland, completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at East Carolina University. Wang, who attended St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, completed his residency in Family Medicine in Aurora, Illinois.

The Sports Medicine Fellowship is led by Dr. Rebecca Peebles, program director, and Dr. R. Michael Galbraith, associate program director. The close collaboration between UT Tyler Athletics and the UT Health East Texas Sports Medicine clinic ensures that the program provides comprehensive training and expertise in the field of primary care sports medicine, equipping physicians with the knowledge and skills to diagnose, treat and prevent sports-related injuries, among other conditions.

“Our two new Sports Medicine Fellows, Dr. Pauline Skowron and Dr. Alex Wang joined us July 1” said Dr. R. Michael Galbraith, associate program director. “Their experiences will further enrich our program and strengthen our commitment to delivering exceptional care in the field of sports medicine. We are proud to collaborate with our partners at UT Tyler Athletics and UT Health East Texas to provide comprehensive training and expertise, equipping our graduates to serve the needs of the region.”

In addition, the inaugural class of Sports Medicine Fellows graduated this past June and passed boards. This milestone marks an important achievement for the program and the first class of board-certified Primary Care Sports Medicine physicians, Drs. Joe Volpi and Alex Jacobsen.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the graduation of our inaugural class of Sports Medicine Fellows,” said Peebles. “These fellows have demonstrated our values of excellence and perseverance in their pursuit of sports medicine. They will undoubtedly make significant contributions to the field of sports medicine.”

Volpi plans on returning to his home in Oregon to complete another fellowship at the University of Oregon with a focus on running medicine and Division 1 athletics. Jacobsen recently signed a contract to stay with UT Health East Texas as part of the fellowship’s faculty team and to help start an outpatient rehabilitation department. He will perform EMG/NCS, diagnostic ultrasound, ultrasound-guided injections and be a team physician for UT Tyler Athletics.

“Starting fellowship during the first year of the program provided a unique opportunity to foster relationships with the community, build out the Sports Medicine Department, and get plugged in from day one with teaching and research,” said Jacobsen. “Growth within Tyler, East Texas, and the Health Science Center made staying on as faculty an exciting prospect, and I hope to contribute to the community and the fellowship for years to come.”

The graduating fellows have successfully completed an intensive training curriculum, which encompassed a wide range of sports medicine disciplines, including musculoskeletal medicine, exercise physiology, orthopedics, sports nutrition and concussion management. Throughout their fellowship, they gained hands-on experience working with athletes of all levels, from recreational to professional.

For more information about the UT Tyler School of Medicine Sports Medicine Fellowship, visit uthct.edu/sportsmedfellowship/.