Omaha native Michelle Xiao grew up dreaming of playing professional soccer. After several bumps along the way, her dream ultimately came true – in the middle of medical school. Xiao, a 2019 Stanford graduate in biomechanical engineering now in her final year at Stanford School of Medicine, talked about her journey to playing professional soccer in Prague and her path to pursuing orthopedic surgery as a future career.

How did your experiences in high school and as a Stanford undergrad shape your passion for medicine?

In high school, I had an amazing opportunity to participate in a one-day workshop through the Perry Initiative where female students were exposed to the field of orthopedic surgery. That was the first time that I met female orthopedic surgeons and started to see the speciality as a possible career goal.

In my junior year at Stanford, while playing soccer in the NCAA tournament, I broke my forearm, needed surgery, and unfortunately had some complications. The recovery process led me to interact with orthopedic surgeons a lot more and gave me more confidence pursuing a career in medicine.

In the article about you that appeared in the NFL ‘Next Woman Up' series website, I read that you played professional soccer in Prague last year. What went into the decision to play professionally after taking time off for medical school?

After I finished my senior season at Stanford, I felt like it was a natural stopping point as I had some lingering injuries. Following undergrad, I spent a year in orthopedic surgery research at Stanford and gained some phenomenal mentors who inspired me to pursue orthopedic surgery as a career. By the time I started medical school in 2020, my passion for soccer reignited and I began to feel that my playing days weren't truly over. Seeing my former Stanford teammates pursue professional soccer influenced me as well. I consulted with mentors from both medicine and soccer in my third year of medical school, who were encouraging and supportive. I felt like it was a now-or-never moment – I realized that if I didn't act then, the window to resume soccer after medical school would likely close due to residency commitments.

How did your time in Prague influence how you approach medicine?

While playing in Europe I connected with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) medical group after I saw in the news that they had started an initiative to increase prevention and awareness of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women. I had already done some research on this topic with my mentors at Stanford. For example, some of the studies I’ve worked on have looked at the impact of turf versus grass on injuries and psychological factors with returning to a sport after injury. I became a voting member of the group to help them make decisions on consensus statements based on current evidence about ACL injuries in female soccer players. This experience made me even more invested in research for injury prevention.

Can you share how your personal experience as an athlete has influenced treating sports-related injuries?

Drawing from my experience as a professional athlete, and now seeing sports medicine through a medical point of view, I feel like I understand the dual perspectives involved in the management of athletic injuries. You want to keep players safe, but as a player, you want to get back out on the field as soon as possible. Being able to empathize with both sides is very valuable and draws me further into the field of work.

What do you see yourself doing with your medical education? Dream job?

I am applying into orthopedic surgery residency this year, and I am enthusiastic about exploring various subspecialties within the field. The dynamic nature of being an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon appeals to me, as it offers an opportunity to continue working with athletes, particularly women's soccer players. In pursuit of my career goals, I’d like to eventually establish my own academic practice after residency and fellowship. Working at a large academic hospital like Stanford would allow me to engage in patient care, educational activities, and continue my research interests in women’s soccer.

Outside of your academic and professional pursuits, what are some of your hobbies or interests?

I like to stay active, whether that is working out at the gym, running, or playing pick-up soccer. I love traveling and exploring new countries, and I visited about 10 countries in Europe during my year abroad. I also like watching sports, especially soccer and football. I’ve been a big San Francisco 49ers fan since being at Stanford, and now after my rotation, I’m a Niners fan for life.