KansasCOM students put their medical training into practice while supporting young athletes at NBA player Gradey Dick’s annual basketball camp.
As more than 150 young athletes filled the gym for the third annual Gradey Dick Youth Basketball Camp, nearly a dozen Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine students were on hand as part of the medical support team.
For campers ages 6 to 16, the event was a chance to learn from one of Wichita’s biggest basketball success stories. For the medical students, it offered a new opportunity to apply their training in a community setting.
Campers spent the day on the court with Gradey Dick, one of Wichita’s most recognizable basketball success stories. The Wichita Collegiate School graduate, former University of Kansas standout, and No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft averaged 14.4 points per game during his breakout 2024-25 season before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason.
Throughout the day, Dick scrimmaged with campers and offered encouragement to participants.
Working alongside camp staff and athletic trainers, the medical students monitored the courts and assisted when injuries occurred. Camp organizers have repeatedly invited students to participate because of the additional support they provide alongside athletic trainers.
Fortunately, injuries were limited to a handful of twisted ankles and bloody noses. One incident, however, allowed students to put their training into practice.
Myles Davis, a second-year student doctor from Orlando, Florida, witnessed a camper lose his balance and fall onto his wrist.
Because Davis saw the injury happen, he was able to quickly assess the situation and help escort the camper to the training room for a more thorough examination. The athlete was ultimately referred to imaging because of concern for a possible fracture.
Davis, who is interested in orthopedic surgery because it combines “sports, anatomy, problem-solving, and helping others regain their quality of life,” says witnessing an injury can provide valuable information for treatment.
“In sports medicine, witnessing the mechanism of an injury provides valuable information that helps to frame the initial assessment and determine the next appropriate steps in care,” Davis says.
Second-year KansasCOM students Myles Davis and Xavier Daudier monitor for injuries at the Gradey Dick Youth Basketball Camp.
Also attending to the camper was James Joseph, MD, senior associate dean for clinical education at KansasCOM and a sports medicine physician. Through the college’s partnerships with local organizations and through his professional network, KansasCOM students regularly engage with Wichita residents in settings far removed from the exam room. Similar experiences, including helping at events such as the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, have become a hallmark of his mentorship.
Dr. Joseph says these types of events help students recognize that effective doctors become trusted members of the communities they serve.
“It’s good for us care providers to have a face in the community,” he says.
Learning Medicine Through Connection
Amid the energy of one of Wichita’s highest-profile youth sports events, KansasCOM students say the camp was a chance to build their own professional networks within the local healthcare and sports community and to unwind from the day-to-day workload of medical school.
Third-year student Kelbie Schnieder, who grew up in the small town of Davey, Nebraska, is completing her core clinical rotations through Ascension Via Christi facilities. She compared the basketball camp to previous sports medicine experiences she completed with Dr. Joseph, including time spent with the Wichita Thunder minor league hockey team.
“So far, I’ve loved the ability to take what we’ve learned in the classroom and apply it outside, but then also expand on it and understand why it’s relevant, why it’s important, and see it done in real time,” Schnieder says.
During the camp, Schnieder recognized athletic trainer Payton Paramore, ATC, from Ascension Via Christi. The chance encounter was an example of how relationships formed during medical school often surface in unexpected places.
“Wichita is an amazing challenge to me in the sense that it’s big, but it’s not that big,” Schnieder says. “Everybody knows each other somehow. I’ve found a connection everywhere I go, and it’s kind of special.”
Campers crowd the court as the dunk contest brings an energetic finish to the day.
Second-year student De’Andra Ogala says she volunteered for a break from schoolwork, and she really enjoys working with children.
A former preschool teacher from Houston, Texas, Ogala is currently completing the neuroscience block while beginning preparation for the COMLEX board examination. While she never encountered a major injury during the camp, she still found ways to help.
“I tied a lot of shoes,” she said with a laugh.
Ogala says experiences like the camp remind her why she chose to pursue medicine in the first place.
“It shows us as student doctors that being a physician is more than school. It’s what you do for your community. It’s the way that you talk to people on a daily basis. It’s the impact that you have on people,” she says.
As campers headed home with memories of sharing the court with an NBA player, KansasCOM students left with lessons of their own. Whether responding to a wrist injury or helping a camper tie a shoe, they spent the day putting those lessons into practice.