How did you become part of the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative?

I had heard about this program when it launched in 2022. I have long been interested in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery as a future career, and I am also a huge NFL fan, so those two interests were a perfect fit for this opportunity. There was a medical student from Stanford in the program last year and I had heard great things about it, so I sent in an application and luckily got the opportunity to participate.

What does a typical day in this program look like for you?

The schedule is pretty variable, but I’m primarily at the team facility almost every day the players practice. Before I go to the facility, I’m in the operating room with Dr. Tim McAdams or Dr. Geoff Abrams at Stanford assisting with some surgeries in the morning. Then I go to practice, which usually starts around 10:30 a.m. After practice, I see athletes who have injuries evaluated or who need to be seen in the training room by a team physician – Dr. McAdams, Dr. Abrams or Dr. Nino Saglimbeni, depending on who is covering practice that day. I’ve also interacted a lot with the rest of the sports medicine staff (particularly Tomo Harada, Dustin Little, Manny Rivera, Jonathan Dickey, Mike Sola and Katie Carden) and learned a lot from them as well. It’s been really interesting to see the bigger picture of the medical staff behind the team and how this group as a collective gets players back on the field as quickly and safely as possible. I also spend a few days in the clinic where the team doctors examine their patients.

I’m definitely gaining a lot of experience and learning a lot that you would never learn on a hospital rotation. I’ve been able to sit with the team doctors and go over MRIs and physical exam techniques so I can ask for their advice and learn from their expertise.

It sounds like you’ve been pretty busy. What have been your biggest takeaways?

I mentioned the team behind the team and I learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes when caring for professional athletes. The sports medicine staff works tirelessly, seven days a week, to optimize players’ health and their recovery from injury. I’ve seen the athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and team physicians in constant communication about injuries and rehab plans. Everyone does their best to best support the team and it’s a great environment. I get to witness players go from injury assessment to rehab to returning to the field.