Newswise — CLEVELAND—Rachel Gardenhire, a third-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University, has been selected to take part in the 2024 NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative , which aims to inspire medical students from various backgrounds to consider pursuing careers in sports medicine. Growing up, sports were important to Gardenhire as an athlete and fan. It was an opportunity for her to bond with her dad while rooting for their favorite Cleveland teams.
She studied athletic training at Miami University in Ohio, combining her interest in medicine and sports, where she was a part of the school’s sports medicine team. Her passion for the process of assessing injuries, creating a plan of care and cooperating to safely get athletes back to competing, was fostered by this experience. Gardenhire is researching knee ligament injuries and co-leads the Sports Medicine Interest Group at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.
“Being able to help athletes return to the activities they love is at the core of my future practice, which is why I became interested in sports medicine,” Gardenhire said. “This opportunity also affords me the confidence in my belonging in a field where there are not many Black women.” As part of the program co-developed by the NFL , the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society , Gardenhire will complete a clinical rotation with the Cleveland Browns medical staff led by .
