TOUCHDOWN! Tackling the need for more diversity in sports medicine [Video]

For years, News 5 has reported on the shortage of professionals entering the healthcare field.

Rural Ohio faces tough healthcare challenges

RELATED: Rural Ohio faces tough healthcare challenges

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States will face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.

With challenges ahead, there are efforts to attract more people to the profession and introduce them to specialties they might not have considered.

Case Western Reserve University Medical Student Rachel Gardenhire completed a clinical rotation with the Cleveland Browns.

“I had a fully immersive experience,” she said. “I really got to see what happens with the NFL and at the Browns’ training facility as well as what happens in the office at [University Hospitals] and the operating room.”

The Strongsville native earned this opportunity through the NFL’s Diversity In Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative. She was one of several medical students across the country to participate in clinical rotations with professional teams.

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