OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — One University of Kansas School of Medicine student is experiencing the Kansas City Chiefs training camp right from the sidelines this year.
Patrick Baki is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Kansas Medical School.
He was selected for a one-month clinical rotation through the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative.
It’s an opportunity for medical students interested in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery through the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS).
He’ll get to spend this month between training camp with the team’s physicians and in community settings in their clinics.
“I’m right there with the docs who are working with these guys, checking them out on a day-to-day basis on what injuries they’re having, things that might be lingering or even just bumps and bruises they’re dealing with during camp,” Baki said.
It’s any Chiefs fan’s biggest dream.
“You’re definitely rubbing elbows with the players and seeing them practice,” Baki said. “Just seeing the work the players and the coach staff put in on a day-to-day basis is pretty impressive."
But Baki sees the impact of this opportunity off the field, too.
“I think representation is important,” he said. “Having doctors who are looking like and coming from the same backgrounds as the people they’re going to serve.”
Now, his future in medicine can be found between two end zones.
“Certain communities, whether African or Hispanic, tend to be under-served,” he said. “So I think any time you’re increasing representation within the physician workforce, I think that’s only going to lead to people feeling more comfortable going to the doctor, feeling like they’re actually being seen, like they’re actually being heard, and like they’re getting the best care possible.”
It’s why he wants everyone to have the chance to dream the same dream.
“It shows students that, whether they’re from an underrepresented background, that they can achieve a career in sports medicine or whatever they feel is possible," Baki said.
KU School of Medicine is one of 19 medical schools participating in this program across the country.
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