NFL launches program to increase diversity in sports medicine
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The NFL, alongside the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society (PFATS), have announced the launch of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, providing clinical rotation opportunities for students from four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) medical schools.
“Increasing diversity across every role in our league and at our clubs is essential. Diversity makes us stronger,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “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.”
Medical students from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Meharry Medical College will be selected to complete one-month clinical rotations with 8 NFL teams during the 2022 NFL season. In the first year of the program, 16 students will be chosen to rotate with 8 teams, placing two students at each team. Teams participating in the program for the 2022 season include the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders. Plans for expansion in 2023 and following years are already in the works, with intentions to involve both more teams and more academic institutions from across the nation.
The main goal is to increase diversity in sports medicine, but also to address health equity for athletes across the nation. A more diverse medical staff can improve patient outcomes on and off the field. “We have significant work to do to ensure that the NFLPS membership more closely mirrors the player population we treat every day,” said NFLPS President and San Francisco 49ers head team physician Dr. Timothy McAdams. “It begins here – by broadening the pipeline and encouraging medical students from diverse backgrounds to consider the possibilities of a career in sports medicine.”
Through the program, students will get hands-on experience under the supervision from the league’s top orthopedic team physicians, primary care team physicians and athletic trainers. Although an ambitious start, the NFL, NFLPS and PFATS are already looking to the future, with even more inclusive plans in providing opportunities in the sports medicine landscape for other people of color and women in the seasons ahead.