Specialties
- Primary Care
- Family Medicine
- Sports Medicine
- Osteopathic Medicine
Appointment Information
New Patient Registration:
Find Primary CareAbout Alan Shahtaji, DO
Alan Shahtaji, DO, is a board-certified family medicine doctor who specializes in sports medicine. He directs UC San Diego Health's Sports Concussion Clinic, which offers comprehensive care for concussion assessment and management.
As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Shahtaji has a whole-body approach to medicine. His areas of expertise include musculoskeletal ultrasound, fracture management, osteopathic manual medicine for sports injuries, and treating non-operative orthopedic problems; as well as a special interest in exercise and nutrition.
Dr. Shahtaji provides primary care for patients of all ages, including preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. He enjoys the scope of family medicine and looks forward to partnering with his patients in the pursuit of biopsychosocial health and well-being.
He is a team physician for the U.S. Soccer Federation, UC San Diego Tritons, University of San Diego and Hoover High School. As a team physician for the US Soccer Federation, he has worked with the U-17, U-20 and U-23 women's national teams and provided medical care at numerous youth World Cups. He has also worked with the U-20 men's national team in Mexico and the 2012 World Cup in Turkey.
Currently, Dr. Shahtaji works with the US Women's National Team and was a part of the medical staff leading up to the World Cup championship in 2015. He was also the primary care physician for the US Women's National Team during the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
As an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Shahtaji instructs medical students, residents and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Shahtaji completed a fellowship in sports medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine and a residency in family medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he was elected chief resident. During his sports medicine fellowship, Dr. Shahtaji cared for the Division I sports teams and traveled to the College Cup with the women's soccer team and to the Music City Bowl with the football team. He earned his medical degree at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Shahtaji is board-certified in family medicine and sports medicine. He also holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine (CAQSM) and is a Credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC), trained in the use of ImPACT, a sophisticated, research-based computer test that helps evaluate recovery following concussion.
Outside of work, Dr. Shahtaji is a passionate Chicago sports fan and enjoys an active lifestyle through soccer, tennis, yoga, running, biking, swimming and most other sports. He believes that the body, mind and spirit function as a unit and is currently developing a meditation practice.
UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Primary Care and Sports Medicine.
Medical Degree
- Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Chicago, IL
Fellowship
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Residency
- UC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
Gender
- Male
Date Joined Staff
- 2012-09-03
Board Certifications
- American Board of Family Medicine
- Sports Medicine
Conditions and Treatments
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Hamstring Tendonitis
- Snapping Hip Syndrome
- Sports Injuries
- Athletic Injuries
- Concussion
- Family Practice
- Care for All Ages
- Comprehensive Care for the Individual and Family
- Overall Health and Well-Being
- Management of Common and Long-Term Illnesses in Children and Adults
- Concussion Assessment
- Injury Prevention
- Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)
- Exercise Prescription
- Fracture Management
- Concussion Management
News
Sports medicine doctor heads to Women's World Cup
In this episode we talk to Alan Shahtaji, DO, family and sports medicine physician at UC San Diego Health and a team doctor for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. We caught up with Shahtaji on the morning before he left to join up with the team and travel with them for the 2019 World Cup in France. He talks about what he does, what he likes about it and what’s challenging about providing medical care abroad for an elite team. He also shares some advice for anyone interested in staying healthy and performing well in soccer, including parents with kids getting into the sport.
