Beyond the field: Florida athletes pursue medical school ambitions

At 6 a.m., a gymnast begins her day, knocking out her classes before heading to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for training. A few miles down the road, a left fielder takes swings at Katie Seashole Pressly stadium. Just across the street, a soccer player made her way to the field for team practice drills.

While all three UF student-athletes each tackle a different sport with unique schedules, they share the same dream: a future in medicine. 

The idea of a full-time student-athlete pursuing a path to medical school seems challenging, but it's far from impossible. Florida Gators senior gymnast Bri Edwards is proof. 

“The day that I got that call, I was just so overjoyed — I checked the portal, and I said that I was 100% attending,” Edwards shared, explaining the moment she opened her acceptance letter. “The next day, I went to the bookstore, and I bought a University College of Medicine T-shirt, and I wear it all the time.”

The Florida native grew up “nerdy,” having a love for building robots and a curiosity for anything scientific. Her fascination for medicine peaked after suffering a childhood injury.

“But, as I've gotten older, I think it's developed into something much deeper, and there's a much bigger purpose behind it than just the science,” Edwards said.

From the moment Edwards stepped on campus, she knew she wanted to pursue a path to medical school. Being a gymnast, however, made her journey far from easy. Gymnastics is a tough sport mentally and physically, and Edwards had to give her all to her team before going home and doing the same with her schooling.

Through trial and error, Edwards found a schedule that best fits for her. When she’s at the gym, she’s locked into her craft. When she’s doing schoolwork, she’s equally focused, trying not to let the two intersect.

Now, she looks forward to mentoring her younger teammates and passing down her experiences to those who want to pursue medicine or need proficient study habits. But these Gator gymnasts aren’t the only student-athletes interested in a medical career. 

Across UF’s campus, senior left fielder Korbe Otis shares the same dream. She felt a spark for medicine since childhood, and her passion has only grown stronger with time.

When Otis wasn’t practicing in the outfield or taking swings in the batting cage, she spent time with her grandfather. He watched over her during the day while her parents were both at work, often taking her along to his cardiologist appointments. Like most young children, Otis didn’t enjoy being at the doctor’s. The cold, sterile environment of the office constantly made her feel nervous — especially when the visit involved someone she loved. 

However, her grandfather’s cardiologist included her in every aspect of the visit to ease her fears. They let her wear the stethoscope, placing the metal against her grandpa’s chest and walking her through what the sounds meant with gentle explanations. The doctor visits soon became exciting, an opportunity to fulfill her fascination with helping people. 

At the time, Otis didn’t realize how closely her interests would align.

“There are so many mirrors to being an athlete, playing a sport, and then also being in the medical field,” Otis said. “There's so much communication, there's a lot of teamwork. And also, being a physician, you're one of the leaders of the healthcare team, you have to make sure that everybody is doing their job — that you're communicating with your team effectively.”

The Colorado native is applying to medical school and hopes to one day become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It will challenge her the same way softball does — filling the void after her career ends.

Although Otis and Edwards share similar goals, there aren’t many athletes enduring the same path they can lean on. The pair entered the medical school process head-first and completely blind. 

UF, however, has created a student-athlete healthcare night that allows students to meet and ask questions to medical school students — some former collegiate athletes — to get a glimpse into what it’s like.

“It's been a little bit helpful just knowing that there are other people that are going through the same thing,” UF junior soccer player Lauren McCloskey said. “I am the only true bio, pre-health major on my team. So it's fun to see different athletes' point of views with that as well.”

McCloskey has always been drawn to biological sciences. She dreamed of following in her mother’s footsteps as a veterinarian, eagerly collecting veterinary toy sets to perform “surgeries” on her childhood stuffed animals. However, her passion has since evolved and expanded to other medical professions.

In college, McCloskey has learned to navigate difficult science courses and travel for road matchups, carving out time whenever possible. Sometimes, it means taking 15 minutes between classes to study her notes. This routine isn’t entirely new to her.

“Growing up playing sports as well has prepared me for this, in that sense,” she said. ”I just feel like I know that I have to get these things done in a certain timely fashion, and I just kind of have to find a way and problem solve.”

It certainly shows. 

All three athletes have previously landed on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Edwards and Otis completed a summer internship with UF Shands Hospital, while McCloskey will do the same this summer.

“Seeing the impact that the physicians that I got to work with had every single day on so many people — they give people back time with their loved ones, they give people back their quality of life,” Otis said.

After working directly in the cardiac unit, she feels she is one step closer to impacting those lives herself.

The three Gators shared how lucky they are to have a huge support system to rely on when days get challenging. Whether it’s a phone call to their parents, having their roommates bring them back to Earth or a team of UF staff ensuring they have all the resources they need, these student-athletes always have someone in their corner. 

If there’s one thing they’d share with other student-athletes passionate about pursuing a career within the medical field, it would be to do it, attack full force and not look back.

“I know that it sounds from a distance super scary and that you need to pour in so many hours, but you are able to get this done,” McCloskey said. “You’ve prepared yourself in your youth career for this. You’ve already had to balance things like that, and it's just taking it a step further.”

Contact Hailey Hurst at hhurst@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haileyjhurst.

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