James Williams has never been one to be fazed by the odds – even when those odds are daunting.
Of the 460,000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes in the United States, fewer than 2% go on to be professional athletes. The average medical school acceptance rate in the U.S. is 5%.
But not only did Williams spend two years in the NFL as an offensive lineman; he’s now in his second year at New York Medical College’s (NYMC) School of Medicine (SOM).
Like many one-in-a-million stories, the journey, while seemingly glamorous, has not been easy. In 2010, Williams signed a free-agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after wrapping up an illustrious playing career during his undergraduate years at Harvard University. Described as one of the nation’s premier linemen, he was a three-time All-American selection and a three-time unanimous All-Ivy League pick. Williams started every game for the Crimson from his sophomore season to his senior season – a feat rarely achieved in college football due to its high injury rate.
Eventually, the physical nature of the sport took a toll on Williams’ body, leading to multiple injuries on his arrival to the NFL. He was released by the Buccaneers after one season and then signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
“I went through preseason camp with them and got hurt in the last preseason game,” he said.
Williams fought for his recovery, however, and landed a spot on the Colts’ practice squad the following year. But during the preseason, he suffered a Lisfranc injury – a midfoot injury that can take anywhere from eight weeks to a year to heal, derailing his dreams of staying in the NFL.
“That was pretty much career-ending,” he said. “I could never get my foot back to the way it was before.”
His transition from the NFL to NYMC was not immediate. Williams spent time as a personal trainer and a preloader for the United Parcel Service (UPS) while earning a postbaccalaureate certificate in premedicine from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. (Because he was an economics major at Harvard, he lacked the course prerequisites needed for medical school.) To prepare himself for the world of medicine, Williams also helped his mother, Jennifer Smith-Williams, D.D.S., a dentist whose oral surgery practice suffered staffing shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I had a hard time finding a good schedule between working full-time and studying for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), but I eventually found my groove,” he said.
That transition period has proved enlightening, Williams added:
“Consistency is important. Even if you cannot see a way to get where you want to be, being consistent allows you to learn new things and you’ll see opportunities begin to open up.”
He credited consistency, along with a strong belief in himself, as driving factors for success in medical school. Williams said he is also grateful for the guidance he has received from multiple NYMC faculty members in the SOM, including Mill Etienne, M.D. (Class of 2002), M.P.H., FAAN, FAES, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and SOM associate dean for student affairs and professor of neurology and of medicine.
“I did not have research experience and Dr. Etienne helped me find a position as part of a research team for traumatic brain injuries,” he said.
Williams’ support system, particularly in medicine, runs deep. Besides his mother, his father, Martin J. Williams, M.D., a critical care surgeon, inspired him to earn a medical degree. “He’s been helping under-resourced communities for his entire career, and I’ve seen the impact he’s had on people,” Williams said. “For him, every patient is special, and they definitely feel that.”
Williams has an interest in specializing in orthopedic surgery after medical school, a field that has intrigued him since he suffered his bone-related injuries in the NFL.
“I can see myself as an orthopedic surgeon in an area where I can help under-resourced patients,” he added.
When he graduates from NYMC as James Williams, M.D., he will be in a small percentage once again: Only 5.7% of American doctors are Black. But Williams is used to beating the odds, and he understands that his effect in the field of medicine will go beyond treating patients.
“I see the importance of serving as an example to people who have never seen Black doctors and showing them that it is possible.”
Tyler J. Landis, MBA, is assistant director of communications at New York Medical College’s School of Health Sciences and Practice. For more, visit nymc.edu.
