The NFL has established the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative in collaboration with the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society (PFATS).
The program will allow medical students from four HBCUs to participate in a clinical rotation with the league’s club medical staff. This initiative seeks to increase diversity among students interested in careers in sports medicine and help diversify the medical staff of it as well.
“Increasing diversity across every role in our league and at our clubs is essential. Diversity makes us stronger,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “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.”
Across the country, Black medical students make up a slim amount of the total medical school population, 7.3 percent, which has increased by only 1 percent over the last 40 years. In the NFL, the number of Black medical professionals hasn’t progressed much either, Essence reported.
“The NFL Physicians Society right now, 86% of our membership identifies as white. For the last 40 years, there has really been very little progress there,” the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said.
“For the Professional Football Athletic Trainers, it’s 65% who identify as white. So, we’ve got work to do, but we are committed to working together to address this lack of diversity. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because we know it makes us better. It actually leads to improved patient outcomes,” Dr. Sills added.
The four participating HBCU medical schools include The Charles R. Drew University School of Medicine and Science, The Howard University College of Medicine, the Morehouse School of Medicine, and Meharry Medical College.
Medical students will have the opportunity to do clinical rotations with NFL teams, and those interested in primary care sports medicine and/or orthopedic surgery, they will have the chance during the upcoming 2022 NFL season.
The Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders were the right teams picked to host a total of 16 medical students this year.
The students participating in this opportunity will work directly with orthopedic team physicians, primary care team physicians, and athletic trainers of NFL teams. They will also gain basic medical knowledge and see how work in sports medicine happens.
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