Women are rising up the ranks passim nonrecreational football, earning positions of powerfulness successful a abstraction that for excessively agelong was ruled astir exclusively by men. We're seeing much and much women breaking barriers successful the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the purpose of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is simply a forum for impactful women to stock experiences successful their ain words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Kelsey Henderson
Position: Fourth-year pupil astatine Meharry Medical College who precocious completed a month-long objective rotation with the Tennessee Titans aesculapian unit done the NFL Diversity successful Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative
It happened precise quickly. I heard astir it successful April erstwhile Meharry announced that the NFL was partnering with 4 Historically Black Colleges and University aesculapian schools for a programme that is going to assistance summation diverseness wrong sports medicine successful the nonrecreational setting. Part of that is exposing aesculapian students precise aboriginal successful their careers to that experience.
I was a third-year astatine the clip and a batch of america didn't recognize the programme was for the 2022 NFL season, truthful we were really congratulating the second-years and encouraging them to use and instrumentality vantage of the accidental earlier residency. Then I received an email that said, "We cognize you're applying for orthopedic country residencies this year. We are interviewing applicants to beryllium portion of the aviator program. Let america cognize if you're interested." That was a large surprise.
I was a Kinesiology large astatine the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, truthful I ever accidental I learned medicine done the connection of sports and quality movement, truthful this accidental was precise overmuch astatine location for me. I wanted to get this acquisition to larn astir sports medicine from a doc standpoint.
I was paired with the Tennessee Titans, truthful it was astir a four-month process from the clip I recovered retired astir the programme to my archetypal time with the Titans.
What were immoderate of things you did and/or learned during the month-long rotation?
I spent clip with the team-affiliated physicians, including Dr. Thomas Byrd and Dr. Damon Petty. I knew Dr. Byrd worked with the squad earlier I started the rotation. He's a titan successful our industry, truthful I was precise intimidated but excited erstwhile I learned helium would beryllium 1 of the physicians I would get to enactment with. In summation to them, I worked with the grooming unit -- carnal therapy, diversion training, nutrition, etc. -- truthful I was capable to spot and larn astir each the antithetic disciplines of the Titans' staff.
A emblematic time was divided betwixt clip with Dr. Byrd's oregon Dr. Petty's signifier with the Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance successful summation to their enactment with the Titans. We would spot their patients, including players, from 7 a.m. until the Titans started signifier astatine the facility. We attended signifier and got acquisition with interaction injuries, and we watched the diversion grooming unit enactment astatine signifier and helped them a small bit. After practice, injured players were evaluated successful the doctor's bureau and past we'd assistance with treatments for players connected the wounded oregon betterment list.
So this was a existent hands-on acquisition then?
Yes, absolutely. I was capable to spot what the physicians did connected a regular basis, and the grooming squad was precise welcoming. In aesculapian school, we were referred to carnal therapy but I didn't get to spot what the carnal therapist really did erstwhile I had that referral. With the Titans, they showed maine precisely however they attack the attraction program and found timelines, including the quality of what that looks similar for a diligent that is returning to enactment oregon nonrecreational subordinate returning to the field. They allowed maine beryllium precise hands-on with this acquisition by learning what each section does and however it contributes to the wellness of the players.
I got to spell to the Colts-Titans crippled connected my past time of the rotation. It was bittersweet due to the fact that we won but it was the extremity of my rotation, truthful I was battling a batch of emotions. The crippled is simply a batch antithetic than the day-to-day enactment due to the fact that the unit is often assessing idiosyncratic immediately. Typically, physicians spot a diligent the time aft the injury. On crippled day, you really get to spot the mechanics of the interaction and the wounded itself, truthful you get the position of the subordinate but besides you person the ocular cue arsenic the doc to cognize what caused the wounded and what the wounded mightiness beryllium earlier you measure the player. It was precise absorbing to beryllium determination and observe everything that was happening astir me. There is truthful overmuch strength from a aesculapian standpoint, and you person to beryllium capable to hone your skills portion fans are screaming and cheerleaders disconnected to your left. It's an astonishing situation that you're in, but astatine the aforesaid time, the seriousness of the occupation and being attentive comes first.
No 1 had to beryllium carted disconnected thankfully. I was observing during the game, but let's accidental determination was a subordinate who was injured during the archetypal half. That idiosyncratic was evaluated astatine halftime, and we would get imaging of everyone that had thing that seemed little than a brushed insubstantial injury. When the adrenaline wears off, determination are sometimes players who recognize their limb hurts oregon something, and we measure them aft the game. I was capable to assistance with immoderate of these things.
What a large past time for you. What was your favourite infinitesimal from the rotation?
Game day. I knew it would beryllium exciting, and it was rewarding to spot players who were injured erstwhile I started the rotation present playing successful the game. I saw them doing their therapy and conditioning to past being steadfast and capable to play, truthful it came afloat circle. The grooming unit is truthful speedy to be to the needs of the players.
I besides met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL main aesculapian serviceman Allen Sills, and they wanted to cognize astir my acquisition and ways they could amended it. It was large to spot that benignant of concern into making this pipeline worthwhile.
That's great. And what was your biggest takeaway from the past month?
This programme conscionable emphasizes however important vulnerability is erstwhile it comes to sub-specialties similar orthopedics. I got that aboriginal vulnerability arsenic a first-year aesculapian student, truthful it truly helped maine program retired my timeline connected however to beryllium a competitory applicant for residency. Now getting vulnerability to not lone sports medicine but nonrecreational sports successful my 4th twelvemonth truly gave maine what you don't get from accepted aesculapian schoolhouse training.
Also, making connections and seeing the civilization of what it's similar to enactment successful nonrecreational sports, it's a truly circumstantial situation but everyone was truthful welcoming and anxious for maine to beryllium determination and learn. That was thing that truly excited me. Everyone with the Titans was precise superior astir their work, but the civilization was 1 of the astir broad and engaging moving environments that I person seen. There is simply a batch of respect betwixt radical and departments, radical utilized each different arsenic dependable boards for their expertise, and determination was a batch of humility. I emotion the squad attack and it was large to spot that benignant of attack exists astatine a nonrecreational level. It besides taught maine that this is the benignant of civilization I expect successful a residency program, truthful they acceptable the barroom truly high. When you emotion what you bash and the players cognize the aesculapian unit is genuinely invested successful their well-being, it makes a large situation for everyone to beryllium in.
Before this rotation, did you see moving successful nonrecreational sports a vocation enactment for orthopedics?
I knew this was a vocation path, but I didn't cognize it was imaginable for maine to get into. There wasn't similar an exclusive way for radical funny successful moving for a nonrecreational sports team. I was exposed to this anticipation of moving successful sports during my undergrad. I had an adjunct prof astatine UT who invited maine to shadiness his household medicine signifier astatine the hospital, and helium besides worked for the Knoxville Bears hockey team. That was my archetypal acquisition seeing sports medicine up close, and I was capable to circuit the grooming and rehab facilities. I thought it was truly cool, but it ne'er dawned connected maine that it was thing I could do, too.
Now that I've gone done this experience, I've truly reconnected with each of the disciplines successful sports medicine and look astatine them successful the realm of a vocation successful orthopedic surgery. I'm beauteous overmuch hooked connected this being a vocation way now, particularly aft seeing however Dr. Petty and Dr. Byrd are capable to assistance some nonrecreational athletes and radical who simply privation to bash regular activities. They screen a wide scope of radical but it's each related to prime of life.
Do you person immoderate mentors? And what proposal person you received from them?
Meharry doesn't person a location programme for orthopedics, truthful I've had to trust connected a batch of physicians who went done our program. Dr. Wayne Johnson has fixed maine position connected what I'm doing oregon should beryllium doing to hole for residency. Dr. Joe Minchew astatine Duke has fixed maine position arsenic a first-generation aesculapian pupil and has helped maine larn what goes into being a large doc extracurricular of what I've learned successful the classroom. Dr. Tonya Dixon, Dr. Nichelle Enata, Dr. Kirsten Ross are different mentors of mine.
They are my toolbox of radical who enactment and usher me. The astir communal portion of proposal they springiness maine is to not suffer myself -- similar my intuition and things that marque maine unsocial that let maine to link to my patients -- successful the exertion process. They've besides encouraged maine to beryllium humble capable to inquire for help, and arsenic you tin archer by the fig of radical I've mentioned, I've taken that to heart.
I truly judge you should person mentors astatine each level due to the fact that having a resident, fellow, attending oregon idiosyncratic successful antithetic scopes of signifier who tin springiness you antithetic perspectives tin assistance you marque immoderate informed decisions.
I work that you co-founded the Meharry Mentoring Program. How did that travel to be?
One of the goals of our pupil authorities relation was to person an overarching ceremonial mentorship program. A batch of organizations person their ain aspects of mentorship, and our schoolhouse attempted it respective times but it fizzled. But during the pandemic, radical became much disposable truthful students were capable to prosecute virtually with radical successful the workforce. We've matched implicit 200 students to mentors wrong the archetypal twelvemonth and a fractional of the program. I've really stepped down from being the caput of the programme due to the fact that this twelvemonth has been busy, but being a chairperson has inactive been fulfilling.
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