Located in the High Country of North Carolina, Boone is full of opportunities and adventure for everyone. As part of the Blue Ridge Mountains sitting at 3,333 ft, there is skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountain biking, road cycling, rafting, tubing, rock climbing, running, fishing, hunting, camping, and more all centered around a university town that provides nationally recognized athletics, cultural activities, and cuisine.
Fellowship year is meant to be challenging but, at the same time, rewarding and fun. The location where you train provides the backbone for your sports medicine experience. Here in the mountains, we have a wide range of opportunities to see active people of truly all ages and all levels of ability. With the breadth of experience you will receive, you will feel comfortable in any medical situation managing sports medicine/musculoskeletal problems whether the setting be academic, private, or in the field. We couple this experience with the maintenance of your already developed primary care skills to keep your future goals unlimited.
Sports medicine is advancing rapidly and our program is as well. We are developing physicians grounded in classical training and skill development bolstered by the newest scientific evidence, technology, and techniques. We achieve this both through our high volume AppOrtho clinic, but also our relationships as medical director and team physicians of Division I Appalachian State University athletics, both Watauga and Avery High Schools, Division II Lees-McRae University, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, High Country youth soccer, and semi pro Appalachian Football Club. We have a close relationship with the Appalachian State University health sciences faculty and are actively involved with their ongoing research while helping to develop new projects.
Outside of these professional opportunities, we won’t let you miss out on the recreation that our area affords. We strongly believe in the mantra of “work hard, play hard” and will make sure you are able to experience our mountain lifestyle in its entirety. Learning balance in the field of medicine is imperative. We will help guide you in determining your future and learn how to add balance to your professional and personal goals. Here, the expectations are high, but you will have the opportunity and the support to grow not only as a physician but also a person.
We look forward to having you in the High Country!
Chris Bullers, MD Boone Sports Medicine Fellowship Program Director
Excellence: We are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-informed services and activities that meet the evolving needs of our communities and partners.
Belonging: We actively foster environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Integrity: We lead with transparency, fairness, and a strong ethical foundation in all our decisions and actions.
Collaboration: We embrace partnerships across professions and communities to drive collective impact.
Innovation and Growth: We remain agile and forward-thinking, continuously improving through learning, creativity, and responsiveness.
Civility: We uphold a culture of mutual respect, empathy, and professionalism in all interactions.
Empowerment Through Accountability: We cultivate ownership, engagement, and shared responsibility in fulfilling MAHEC’s mission and stewarding its resources.
Our Commitment
MAHEC is committed to inspiring and equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals and expanding access to care for all. Our vision is to create a healthier community in Western North Carolina and beyond.
Curriculum Overview
The fellowship uses a longitudinal curriculum that alternates every three weeks between two roles: the “App Fellow” and the “Lees McRae Fellow.”
This determines each fellow’s daily clinic site, supervising faculty, and primary university coverage. Fellows rotate through AppOrtho clinical offices, including two main sites — one located on Appalachian State’s campus in the endzone building of the football stadium.
Faculty and Clinical Assignments
Bullers: ASU endzone clinic, AppOrtho main clinic, Primary Care Sports Med
Felix: ASU endzone clinic, AppOrtho main clinic, Primary Care Sports Med
Parker: ASU endzone clinic, AppOrtho main clinic, Orthopedic Surgery Sports Med
Anderson: AppOrtho main clinic, Orthopedic Surgery (joint replacement and general)
Shuman: Watauga Radiological
Additional Sites: Breakthrough PT, ASU training rooms, Lees McRae training room, Watauga High School training room
Elective time available
Didactics
Ultrasound Didactics: Weekly on Friday afternoons. Progresses based on fellow proficiency. Ultrasound is used daily in clinic with portable machines at both sites.
Weekly Didactics and Teaching: Wednesday mornings covering core clinic topics and board review.
Team and Event Coverage
Fellows serve as team physicians for Appalachian State University, Lees McRae University, and Watauga High School. They have scheduled training room time at Lees McRae, after hours training room time at Appalachian State, and additional athlete access through the AppOrtho endzone facility.
Coverage includes:
All ASU football games (home + away)
Home women’s soccer
Home wrestling
Home men’s and women’s basketball
Optional coverage for additional ASU and Lees McRae sports
Appalachian Football Club
Boone Bigfoots baseball
Mass event coverage:
Asheville Marathon
Hellbender 100 Miler
“Heart of a Pioneer” mass physical exam event (includes EKGs for high school athletes)
Dr. Chris Bullers grew up in Hickory, North Carolina. He attended Catawba College as an undergraduate, and after working for several years in the pharmaceutical industry, completed medical school at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. After finishing his family medicine residency at Wake Forest University, he capped his medical training with a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
He then returned to Wake Forest University to become part of the family medicine clinical faculty and Winston Salem State team physician. During this time, he was also the principal investigator of the Winston Salem State arm of the NCAA-Department of Defense Concussion, Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium nationwide project to further define the clinical and neurobiological natural history of concussive injury and recovery. He has been included in several publications stemming from this ongoing research.
In 2017, Dr. Bullers climbed the mountain to join the AppOrtho team of the Appalachian Regional Medical System (ARHS) in Boone, NC. At that time, he was part of the vision to build a new academic center to educate future primary care and sports medicine physicians. After helping to start the family medicine residency at ARHS, he continues regular didactics with the residents as well as directing their orthopedic clinical experience. He currently serves as medical director and team physician for Appalachian State University athletics and helps to provide for the sports medicine needs of Watauga and Avery counties. This includes varied youth activities ranging from all sanctioned school sports to skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, dance and the many other unique opportunities that the mountains provide. Several mass events are overseen yearly including 2 large (80+ team) weekend soccer tournaments hosted by High Country Soccer, and Heart of a Pioneer, a mass preparticipation physical event including EKG and concussion screening for the county middle and high school athletes.
Professionally, Dr. Bullers’ interests include nonsurgical musculoskeletal care, injury prevention, concussion management, nonsurgical procedures including biologics and tenotomy, diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, and overuse injuries.
Dr. Bullers enjoys all outdoor activities especially when they involve his wife and two boys. They are constantly exploring all the high country has to offer and finding new fun every weekend they can. He tries to “practice what he preaches” when it comes to exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Benjamin Parker is a ABOS Board Certified orthopedic surgeon at AppOrtho. He is the director of Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgery. The North Carolina native completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University and earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. From there, he completed his orthopedic residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his sports medicine fellowship at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Parker is a specialist in all areas of sports medicine, including complex injuries of the knee, pediatric sports injuries, cartilage restoration, elbow surgery, complex arthroscopic and reconstructive shoulder surgery, and joint replacements. As a team doctor, he covers Appalachian State University, Lees McRae, Appalachian FC and many surrounding high school sports teams. When not at work, Dr. Parker enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. He is also an avid fitness enthusiast and accomplished musician.
Born in Johnstown Pa, but hail from parts all over as a “military brat”. My interest in medicine started after recovering from severe orthopedic trauma in high school. Through a combination of surgeries and physical therapy I was able to return to the athletic field in college. While studying biology at Slippery Rock University I was a student athlete in soccer and club lacrosse. After graduating medical school at Drexel University, I completed an internal medicine internship before entering active duty with the USAF. With additional training, I served 5 years as a Flight Surgeon supporting flying squadrons and special operation units during numerous deployments and military exercises. Returning to the United States in 2010 I entered my emergency medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital, finishing as a chief resident. Initially working in an academic setting I relocated to western NC to practice EM in a community based environment.
My interests include endurance sports, longevity and preventive healthcare, military medicine, nutrition, and aging athletes. Outside of medicine my focus is on enjoying quality time with my son, wife (also an EM physician) and our senior dog. I enjoy road cycling, triathlons, hunting, fishing, and cooking.
I’m the product of 7 generations of Watauga county and have always known that I would return to Watauga county, even before I decided to pursue a career in medicine. I was fortunate enough to complete my degree in chemical engineering at N.C. State prior to medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Within medicine, I’m passionate about providing health care to rural underserved populations, particularly within the Appalachian mountains. Additional subcategories that I care deeply about include mental health, reducing stigma, substance use disorders, prenatal care, and migrant worker populations.
Outside of medicine, I’m a lover of all things dealing with music and/or outdoor adventure. I play guitar, piano, sing, and occasionally try my hand at writing and recording. I’ve been skiing since I was two and I’ve been a volunteer ski patroller at Appalachian Ski mountain since age 15. In the warmer months, you can find me running on the Boone Greenway or mountain biking at Rocky Knob Park.
“The heart of the High Country.” “The jewel of eastern America's highest mountains.” And of course, home to Appalachian State University, with a growing list of accolades that includes tops rankings from U.S. News & World Report: #2 in Top Public Schools in the South, #3 in Best Regional Universities of the South, and #4 in Most Innovative Schools in the South (not to mention a decorated athletic program).
All of these describe Boone—a mountain town to love, live, and learn in, whose vibrant culture, local arts, and award-winning wineries are all within easy reach of the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, known as “America’s Favorite Drive.” Boone also offers plentiful hiking and biking trails, beautiful mountain overlooks, recreational lakes, and other outdoor adventures—plus it’s a doggone friendly destination for pups.
Venture down the road from Boone to the Blue Ridge Parkway’s biggest waterfall, located in neighboring Linville Falls. Check out 90-mile views and experience the mile-high swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain where the annual Highland Games draw visitors from around the world. And enjoy year-round activities at the area’s ski resort!
3 letters of recommendation, one of which must be from your program director
Applications are accepted July through September each year. Interviews will be held during October and November.
Duration: One year (July 1-June 30) Deadline: Applications are accepted from July 15-September 1 Location: Boone, NC
Previous Training
We consider candidates who have recent, successful completion of family medicine, pediatric, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and internal medicine-pediatrics residencies.
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to the Fellowship Program Administrator at sportsmed.boone@mahec.net.
VISA Sponsorship
MAHEC does not directly sponsor residents or fellows that need a J-1 Sponsorship VISA. Non-U.S. citizen applicants needing visa sponsorship must secure this directory from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). The ECFMG is authorized by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor foreign national physicians for the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa for the purpose of participating in U.S. programs of graduate medical education or training. ECFMG is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a BridgeUSA sponsor for J-1 exchange visitor physicians enrolled in accredited programs of graduate medical education or training, or advanced research programs (involving primarily observation, consultation, teaching, or research). Although many universities and research institutions in the United States are authorized to sponsor exchange visitors as research scholars, ECFMG is the sole sponsor of J-1 physicians in clinical training programs.
Questions regarding VISA Sponsorship should be directed to the GME office at 828-232-2946 or gme@mahec.net.
Chris Bullers, MD
Makisha Stamper
Chris Bullers, MD
Robert Felix, MD
Benjamin Parker, MD
Aaronvir “Aaron” Thind, MD
Addison Wood, DO
Robert Felix, MD
Jonathan “Jeb” Fox, MD
Carolyn Murrer, MD