From the operating room to the turf, 21 medical schools are sending students to work alongside NFL medical staff members.

The NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative was created to get medical students from diverse backgrounds to consider sports medicine careers and to diversify NFL club medical staffs.

“This is something that not a lot of people get to see,” Dr. Kevin Kaplan said.

Sydney Woods, 26, will be doing a one-month rotation with Kaplan, the Jaguars’ head team physician. The program began during the 2022 season. This is the second year Kaplan has participated.

“Honestly it’s mind-blowing,” Woods said. “This is not something I thought I would have been doing five years ago.”

Woods arrived in Jacksonville on Saturday. She goes to school in Nashville at Meharry Medical College, and she’s originally from Alabama.

“I’ve been working really hard to try to do the things I need to do to get myself in this position,” Woods said.

She said she’s looking forward to seeing the teamwork between the medical staff, coaches, and players.

Read the full story at Action News Jax here.