Endeavor Health to host NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine student for second year
Endeavor Health is proud to welcome medical student Aisha Suhaiba from the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative. Throughout August, Aisha will complete a clinical rotation under Mark Bowen, MD, division head of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine for Endeavor Health and head team physician for the Chicago Bears. For a second year, Endeavor Health is among a handful of health systems partnering with the NFL, NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS), Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) and medical schools nationwide to improve diverse representation in sports medicine.
Students from 21 medical schools have been matched with NFL clubs across the league for one-month clinical rotations focused on primary care sports medicine and/or orthopedic surgery. The rotations provide students with the opportunity to learn from and work directly with club medical staff as they deliver care to players across the league. Student clinical rotations will begin as training camps open for the 2024 NFL season next month.
“I am proud to be a participant who will one day be able to show those who come after me what is possible, especially for Black women as we currently comprise only 0.6% of all orthopedic surgeons,” said Aisha, a student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. “The opportunity to rotate with the Endeavor Health Orthopaedic & Spine Institute through the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Initiative is a unique experience that will undoubtedly inform my nascent understanding of orthopedic surgery, and one that I will carry with me for the rest of my career.”
During their one-month rotations, students will observe and participate in the care of NFL players, working directly with and under the supervision of the orthopedic team physicians, primary care team physicians, athletic trainers, dietitians, mental health clinicians, strength & conditioning coaches, equipment managers, and others to gain medical knowledge and exposure to patient care in sports medicine.
“This initiative provides a tremendous opportunity for these medical students and the field of sports medicine,” said Dr. Bowen. “We need to welcome diverse perspectives, experiences and cultivate these bright young minds to flourish as medical professionals.”
About Endeavor Health
Endeavor Health℠ is a Chicagoland-based integrated health system driven by the mission to help everyone in their communities be their best. Illinois’ third-largest health system and third-largest medical group serves an area of more than 4.2 million residents across seven Northeast Illinois counties. More than 27,000 team members and more than 7,100 physician and advance practice provider partners deliver seamless access to personalized, pioneering, world-class patient care across more than 300 ambulatory locations and nine hospitals, including eight Magnet-recognized acute care hospitals – Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights), Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health Hospital (Naperville). For information, visit www.endeavorhealth.org.