In a brand-new effort to promote diversity within sports medicine, the NFL has unveiled an initiative involving four historically Black college and university (HBCU) medical schools.
The program is done in partnership between the NFL, the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society (PFATS). It is open to select students attending Morehouse School of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Meharry Medical College and Howard University College of Medicine.
A total of 16 students will be selected for clinical rotations. They’ll be divided into groups of 2 between the 8 participating NFL teams: the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders.
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“Increasing diversity across every role in our league and at our clubs is essential. Diversity makes us stronger,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We have an opportunity to help increase the pipeline of diverse sports medicine professionals, which is imperative for us as a league.”
“This initiative is an example of how we can lend our platform for a societal benefit. I’m proud that our league can help inspire the next generation of sports medicine professionals,” he continued.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, shared further details on the initiative.
“On the whole, a day would consist of a mixture of time with the athletic training staff, observing treatments and assessments and rehabilitation care,” he noted. “They would also spend time with team physicians and learn how they diagnose and treat injury rehab. Perhaps they would attend a surgical procedure that involves an athlete. And then they would be attending a team practice.”
“All of those elements allow them to appreciate what the entire athletic training staff does [and] how the medical team works together,” Sills added.
The NFL announced a partnership with Meharry, Charles Drew, @Morehouse and @HowardU medical schools to fund internships for select students to work with eight teams this season. The goal is to increase interest among diverse medical students to work in the sports medicine field
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) May 24, 2022
While the program’s inaugural year will only be open to students interested in primary care sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, officials hope to expand the initiative to include other disciplines next year.
Additionally, the NFL, NFLPS and PFATS have committed to “widening the sports medicine pipeline for other people of color and women in the seasons ahead.”
“We are grateful the NFL is taking measurable steps to diversify the league and specifically recognizes the barriers to opportunity many minority students face in sports medicine career paths,” Meharry Medical College president and CEO Dr. James E.K. Hildreth said. “Through this partnership, our students will be afforded the opportunity for exposure to a unique field of medicine that will create new meaningful experiences beneficial to their career advancement.”
