The field of sports medicine is steadily growing, highlighting the imperative for a more inclusive workforce. There has been a notable rise in female athletes at all levels of sports. The success of U.S. female athletes at this summer’s Paris Olympics was dominant. The prominence of U.S. women in sports is evident by their winning of twenty-six of the forty gold medals awarded. Despite the clear rise in competitive women in sports, the majority of team physicians across all levels are men. Presently, only 2.8 percent of Black women and 2 percent of Latinas constitute the physician workforce, with even smaller representation in sports medicine. The number of females of color in leadership roles in sports medicine is a fraction of this and often in the single digits. The domains of gender diversity and leadership roles within this field need significant development. Ultimately, fostering diversity holds the potential to enrich patient care, elevate clinical outcomes, and drive forward innovations within the field and beyond.
As a woman of color in a leadership role in sports medicine, I have encountered challenges. These challenges span from pursuing medicine, facing the arduous path, and confronting the realities of the “dream gap.” The “dream gap”—a phenomenon where societal perceptions undervalue young girls’ potential—is rooted in outdated beliefs stemming from both conscious and unconscious biases. Sports medicine, like any other male-dominated field, demonstrates a need for empowering women at any age. How do we help close gaps in the field of medicine?
In the recent past, dressed in my business attire, I looked around the training room on game night and reminded myself that I belonged there. Of note, I am in my eighteenth year in this field. The athletic team members and players (all men) carried on as usual. This was the first day one of our fellow trainees would join me (a female physician). There was palpable excitement and a sense of walking into the wrong locker room. In primary care sports medicine, physicians must address a wide range of issues that call for a holistic and unbiased approach. This is how I strive to approach my role. That night in the training room, we coordinated and provided care across the span of our field of expertise, approaching each elite athlete and task at hand with an open mind and a carefully curated plan. Filtering the actual and figurative noise from the competitive event taking place around us was critical. By the end of the night, it was evident that my fellow was at ease and recognized the potential for learning and growth, paving a path for more women to come.
To close the gaps in sports medicine, both in primary care and surgical specialties, we need to collaboratively create a network and pipeline for aspiring women in the field. A pipeline initiative would increase the pool of women committed to the pursuit of a career in medicine, specifically sports medicine. My favorite quote and motto in life is by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and make a trail.” Creating a fellowship for aspiring women can serve as a source of inspiration and foster camaraderie. Serving as a mentor, leader in the community, and simply sharing our experience can reach high school and college students, empower medical students, and bring forth the leadership potential within resident physicians and sports medicine fellows. There is no definitive roadmap or established algorithm for closing the gaps in medicine. There is power in numbers, and collaboratively we can make significant strides.
Marissa S. Vasquez Machuca is a sports medicine physician.
