A decade from now, Ilich Rodríguez-Rivas hopes to be a team doctor in the NFL or college ranks.

There's a good chance his recent experience with the Chargers helps him achieve that goal.

Rodríguez-Rivas, UCLA medical student at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, recently spent nine days with the organization to get an inside look at how things operate behind the scenes.

"I'm still three to four years away from fellowship but I wanted to get an early start," Rodríguez-Rivas said. "This seemed like the perfect fit."

Rodríguez-Rivas was a 2025 participant in the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, which was launched in 2022 with the goal of increasing the pipeline of diverse students interested in careers in sports medicine.

The initiative is a join

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