DOCTORS DIVERSIFY
Bruises, Biceps and Bureaucracy:
A Doctor’ s Life on the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission
by Josh Christensen, MD
On the third Wednesday of every month, I attend the meeting of the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission( KBWC). This was not a role I envisioned myself having coming out of my orthopedic surgery training. My“ dream” as a medical student was to be the team physician for a professional sports team( preferably my favorite football team, the San Francisco 49ers). But as I went through orthopedic surgery residency and then a sports medicine fellowship, I saw the time commitment necessary to have that position. One is essentially on call 24 / 7 and then often does not even perform needed surgeries on the athletes, as this is usually dictated by their agents. Being a team physician sometimes requires treating problems outside the scope of sports medicine as well. I remember hearing about one team physician I worked with having to write an antibiotic prescription for an athlete with a raging STI. So, when I was presented with this opportunity in 2021, I thought it may be a good balance between time commitment and my interest in sports medicine. A staff member of Governor Andy Beshear contacted me and asked if I would have an interest in participating. I have been fortunate over the years of getting to know the Governor a little bit, so I was happy to accept the offer if he was asking. I have always enjoyed watching boxing, so there was already an inherent interest in one of the sports I would be involved with. Unfortunately, boxing has waned in popularity alongside its quality. Gone are the days of Ali vs. Frazier and even Tyson vs. Holyfield. I would love to see an exciting young talent or two come along and bring back the glory days!
The KBWC is also in charge of licensing and regulating professional wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts( MMA). My interest in these
14 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE