“This is a good turnout,” Dr. Daniel Bedney said while the last student got situated in their seat among twenty or so of their peers, “I’m glad you guys showed up.”
Dr. Bedney currently works as the NBA physician for the Lakeland Magic, the affiliate team of the Orlando Magic, and recent 2021 G-league champions. The Career Center & Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship invited Dr. Bedney to give a talk for health sciences majors and students interested in careers in sports medicine. On the afternoon of February 7, in a Buller Hall classroom, he gladly took a break from his busy schedule to give interested students a chance to learn more about his exciting career. Bedney comes from a thoroughly Adventist educational background. A proud alumnus of Andrews Academy, Bedney still carries a soft spot for the Michiana area. He fondly recalled playing pick-up basketball games on the courts near Meier Hall during his teenage years. While not a serious athlete himself, he always loved being around sports and began his penchant for caring for athletes by tutoring multiple athletes throughout high school. Excited for a change in scenery, he decided to attend Oakwood University, where he majored in biology. His roommate was on the basketball team, and he jokingly told us that he preferred to be the “water boy.” In this capacity, he also helped wrap ankles and began to take a serious interest in sports medicine. After undergrad, he felt called to attend Loma Linda University, where he met his wife and the mother of his two young sons.
But amid the joys of meeting and marrying his wife, he experienced a professional setback. He had believed that the board exam he’d have to take to apply for a residency would be a “piece of cake” but had sorely miscalculated. “I failed,” he told us, “I had dropped the ball, and I had no one to blame by myself.” While applying for residencies, he feared that his dream of being a doctor was damaged beyond repair. He couldn’t sleep the night before he was supposed to learn whether or not he had matched with any residencies, “I’d never experienced stress and anxiety at that level before.” He anxiously paced around until he noticed the Bible sitting on his bookshelf. Drawn to it, he opened it to Philippians 4:6 and read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Overwhelmed with emotion, he fell to his knees in prayer, thanking God for bringing him this far and trusting that he’d take him all the way. When he finished, he felt calm like he’d never known before. The next morning he learned he had been matched with Meharry Medical College. His dream was back on track.
After finishing his residency, he passed his last board certification and started practicing family medicine as a doctor. While he enjoyed family medicine, he knew his real desire was to work with athletes. During his time at AdventHealth Family Medicine in Florida, the practice got a contract to provide physicians for Lakeland Magic. In 2017 the hiring team approached him with a job offer, he recalled, “they asked me if I wanted to work with NBA players. And I said, ‘wow, do I want to fulfill all of my dreams? Duh,” he laughed, “it was a no brainer for me.” He readily accepted, and now, six seasons later, he’s still loving his career. “I tell people I get to watch sports for a living,” he joked. In his position, he attends games and has to be ready on the side in case any player is injured. Off the courts, he does regular physicals on professional athletes. It’s just like taking care of anyone else, he told us, only the people are much taller. On his first day, he had to do a physical on someone who was 6 9’! He laughed as he mimed, putting a stethoscope above his head as if reaching for an invisible giant’s heart.
Looking back on his career journey, he’s proud of how hard he worked to be where he is today. His interest in sports and medicine started when he was just a teenager; now, all these years later, he gets to care for professional athletes for a living. While his path came with difficulties and setbacks, he doesn’t regret his mistakes because, ultimately, he ended up where he wanted to be. He compares it to a GPS; if you take a wrong turn, “the GPS doesn’t give up! “As long as it has a programmed destination, it will reroute you onto a new path. Because of this, he encourages us all to dream big when determining our life and career “destinations.” His career started right here in Berrien, and he didn’t need to go to any large, prestigious school to end up where he wanted to be. As long as we are faithful in the small things, he assures us, and we work dutifully for what we want to accomplish; we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.