JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From the operating room to the turf, 21 medical schools are sending students to work alongside NFL medical staff members.
The NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative was created to get medical students from diverse backgrounds to consider sports medicine careers and to diversify NFL club medical staffs.
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“This is something that not a lot of people get to see,” Dr. Kevin Kaplan said.
Sydney Woods, 26, will be doing a one-month rotation with Kaplan, the Jaguars’ head team physician.
The program began during the 2022 season. This is the second year Kaplan has participated.
“Honestly it’s mind-blowing,” Woods said. “This is not something I thought I would have been doing five years ago.”
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Woods arrived in Jacksonville on Saturday. She goes to school in Nashville at Meharry Medical College, and she’s originally from Alabama.
“I’ve been working really hard to try to do the things I need to do to get myself in this position,” Woods said.
She said she’s looking forward to seeing the teamwork between the medical staff, coaches, and players.
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“It’s getting a look into the field of sports medicine in a way that most students may not get,” Kaplan said. “For them to see from beginning to end in how we take care of injuries. Talking to the coaches and the agents and the players. It’s just an experience that’s unforgettable for them.”
Woods will also go into surgery with Kaplan as well.
“Somebody’s gotta come take my job at some point,” Kaplan joked.
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Woods said she doesn’t have an NFL team of her own, so she plans to adopt the Jaguars.
“I’m gonna be a Jags fan forever,” Woods said.
By the end of the rotation, students will be able to understand the basic elements of care provided to NFL players from an orthopedic, primary care sports medicine, and athletic training perspective.
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