Dr. Ralph Rogers is one of the most influential doctors in sports. He has been a medical advisor for the National Basketball Association since 2012, is the former first team doctor of Chelsea Football Club, and is the medical director of one of the world’s most prestigious sports clinics in the world, the London Sports Injury Clinic. Rolling out spoke exclusively with Dr. Rogers about early inspirations, studying abroad, his passion for education, the future of technology in medicine, and more.
Growing up did you see any examples of Black doctors who inspired you?
Growing up, I saw plenty of inspirational Black doctors from both New York City and New Jersey. My uncle was a well-known physician in Harlem and I also had cousins who were doctors in the New York area. But it wasn’t just family — my entire community was brimming with talented Black physicians.
My next-door neighbor, Dr. Carl Ross, was my pediatrician and almost like a second dad to me — he was a huge inspiration in my life. Then there was Dr. Frank Lapeyrolerie (another father figure) who was an oral surgeon and lived three doors down the street from me. He and his wife Delia had five children, four of whom are now in the medical profession, and all are my very dear friends, almost like brothers and sisters. I knew many Black professionals growing up — doctors, physicians and lawyers — so I always had immediate role models that I could call upon. From a very young age I have been influenced, shaped and inspired by their incredible accomplishments.
You have a passion for learning and education. Where did that passion begin?
My environment played a huge part in developing my insatiable thirst for learning. Being surrounded by so many Black professionals gave me the unwavering belief that I would get there too. Even at a very young age, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be successful and that my success would come through hard work and education.
Both of my parents were educators — my mom having a master’s degree and my dad completing his Ph.D. at Michigan State University — this solidified my belief in the powers of education. My dad had a particularly great influence in my life and it is his philosophy about hard work and learning that sticks with me to this day. My grandparents were also instrumental in making me understand the value of a good education. The passion for learning came from within me, but it was my family and the people around me who truly ignited the flame.
How did studying abroad change your view of the world?
Studying abroad has been a fascinating and utterly amazing experience. It has given me a global perspective on a wide-range of issues, ideas and concepts. Even though I am really an American through and through, I also consider myself a World citizen. I am able to see different sides to certain arguments and put myself in the shoes of others — my levels of empathy have been developed exponentially through my global experience.
Studying abroad has allowed me to think more laterally. I now realize that people have other values and beliefs, but at the same time I can see that we are all the same; we all want the same things. But it’s not just the studying; it’s actually living in different cultures and absorbing every aspect of a country that has been amazing. If anything, it has made me become even more proud to be American. It’s actually made me see how valuable our country is, the opportunities that it presents and how fortunate I was to have grown up in such a great society as the United States.
Your father was very influential in your love of sports. When did the idea of merging your passion for sport and medicine begin?
I was always going to be a doctor. That’s the only thing I ever thought about and I don’t remember wanting to do anything else, even as a very young child. It was also natural for me to be in sports from an early age, a lot of that was due to my upbringing and the environment that I lived in. So I was always going to do sports medicine. My dad was extremely pleased with that and he also thought it was a natural fit. He never forced me into that area, but he always encouraged me if that was what I wanted to do.
What are some technological advances that will change the world of medicine in the near future?
There are big things on the horizon, believe me. It is basically Back to the Future! One of the main technological advances is in telehealth and digital medicine — a concept that has been with us for many years, but still holds the key for the future of medicine.
Developing this technology will not only help monitor chronic diseases but we will also be able to look at and monitor the amount of physical activity patients are completing. What is not being done, or I should say what is not being done successfully up until now, is not only establishing the amount of physical activity but establishing an individual level of activity for the disease or fitness level that you need to be at. In other words, what I am after is technology that engages you as an individual, monitors you as an individual and feeds back to you as an individual the various algorithms specifically for you.
I am currently involved with a company called Ki Health Performance, which is dedicated to developing this level of bespoke interaction. We have been quite successful in establishing various algorithms to work closely with individuals in terms of what they need; whether that is cardiac rehabilitation or establishing the level of activity that you need for diabetes, even obesity.
Telehealth and digital medicine is surely the way forward. But in saying that, this has been around for a very long time, since the ’50s and ’60s in various guises, whether it is communicating with patients over the phone or, more recently, sending X-rays and images over the media, as well as conducting Skype consultations. The sky really is the limit in terms of bringing some of the best minds in medicine to just about any place in the world through technology.
Can you share a funny story about your interaction with an athlete?
Some of the funniest stories I obviously cannot repeat, but I can tell you many professional athletes are pranksters, have a great sense of humor and have some unforgettable stories to tell. For the sake of my patients, I won’t be able to answer this question fully, but trust me when I say I have had some very wild experiences and have some very funny stories!
Keep up with the great work that Dr. Ralph Rogers is doing at https://ralphrogers.com or on Twitter @DrRalphRogers
