The Story of My Practice:
Vernon B. Williams, MD, FAAN
Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine found me. I can't say that I ever
had a revelation to choose these fields of medicine. I didn't carefully
consider and weigh the options or agonize over a decision to pursue this
or that medical career. My practice found me.
As a high school junior, my guidance counselor (who I can honestly say
I had never had more than a few conversations with… ever) approached
me about whether I wanted to pursue a summer job as a research assistant
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. My response? "I guess so. As long
as it doesn't interfere with football practice." I was a good
student. I was in the chemical biology curriculum at Cass Tech High School.
But so were many of my friends. Why was I asked? I didn't know. Why
was I assigned to the Department of Neurology basic science lab? I didn't
know. Not then. But I do now. I was being set up.
Two years later, I applied to college at two schools: Yale University and
the University of Michigan. Both accepted me. I could choose Yale, where
I would play football and room with a good friend from my high school
football team. He went on to play there. I did not. I chose U-M after
having being accepted into their prestigious Inteflex Accelerated Pre-Med/Medical
Program. Interestingly enough, my application was a mistake. Sort of.
I checked "yes" next to the box requesting consideration for
the Inteflex Program on my draft-copy application to U-M. After visiting
the campus and learning how competitive and difficult the program was
(and how impossible acceptance would likely be), I decided NOT to check
that box on my actual application. The second/"live" application,
with the polished and rewritten essay, wouldn't be unnecessarily cluttered
with an unrealistic dream of acceptance into Inteflex. I thought, "Just
accept me into the regular, university Bachelor of Science program, thank
you." Besides, I was leaning towards Yale, anyway. Only I misplaced
the second/"live" application forcing me to turn in the original
draft-copy at the 11th hour. The Inteflex box was checked "Yes" for consideration on
that application. They accepted me.
During my first year of Neurology residency in Baltimore, my chief resident
asked if I wanted to moonlight. Not in an E.R. or doing insurance physicals
like many other residents, but in a clinical trials center where I would
interview and examine patients with various types of headaches. Three
years later, I had taken medical histories on and examined thousands of
patients with headaches, and had acted as a primary or sub-investigator
on dozens of clinical trials related to migraines.
My former chief resident was now on staff at Johns Hopkins and offered
to introduce me to the director of the Pain Management fellowship program.
I accepted an offer for a fellowship position in the Department of Anesthesiology
and Critical Care where I could pursue a year and a half of intensive
clinical training in Headache, clinical trials training in Headache, and
interventional training in Pain Management with internationally renowned
experts in these respective fields.
About 8-10 months into my fellowship program at Johns Hopkins, my fellowship
director suggested that I contact an orthopedic surgery group in Los Angeles
that was recruiting a non-operative spine and pain specialist. They were
also interested in a Neurologist. Maybe with me, they could kill two birds
with one stone. My immediate reaction was negative, to put it mildly.
I liked the East Coast. My family was back in Michigan. What on earth
would possess me to move 3,000 miles to Los Angeles? Well, let's just
say a trip to L.A. can be a powerful thing for a young man born and raised
in Detroit. Especially if that young man is an athlete and sports fan
(who achingly missed the opportunity to play college football) being interviewed
by the premier sports medicine group in the country. When I accepted the
offer to interview, I did not understand Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic's
physicians were team doctors for every major sports team in southern California.
A neurologist… practicing pain medicine…in an orthopedic
clinic…in Los Angeles. I can't pretend to have planned or pursued
this beginning to a medical practice. Simply put, my practice found me.
I joined the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in 1997 and initially developed
a multidisciplinary pain program by adding pain psychology, biofeedback,
acupuncture, and alternative physical therapy techniques under the Pain
Management umbrella. My next goal was to develop more "Sports Neurology"
activities and significantly expand into the areas of concussion and head
injury as well as evaluation and management of neurologic consequences
of sports and other types of performance. Cosmetic neurology and the concept
of maximizing neurological function, not only in the diseased and afflicted,
but also in the healthy population interested me. Peak performance and
assisting those interested in being "better than well" became
a goal, leading to my founding of the Center for Sports Neurology and
Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.
I have also augmented my clinical accomplishments with teaching and training
activities. I founded and direct the Kerlan-Jobe Sports Neurology Fellowship
Program, only the second of its kind in the United States. I routinely
educate physician specialists as course director and/or lecturer at national
and international meetings. I also enjoy educating the lay public through
community-based talks and seminars focused on concussion, safe participation
in sports and pain management. Finally, I carefully designed and grew
a non-traditional form of "teaching" by developing a medical-legal
consultative practice. I perform medical records reviews, Independent
Medical Examinations, expert reports, expert witness testimony, second-opinion
evaluations, and attorney consultative services as part of this practice.
It provides me with the opportunity to use my communication skills and
"teach" by taking complex medical information and providing
expert, objective, and non-biased information in a way that is valuable
and understandable to all stakeholders, including adjusters, attorneys,
judges, jury members, and/or mediators and arbitrators.
For the past 20 years, I have made the field of Sports Neurology and Pain
Medicine my life's work. I am engaged in treating sports-related neurological
injuries. I evaluate and manage acute, persistent and chronic pain using
advanced interventional and neuromodulatory techniques. I consult with
individuals on a wide range of related issues from safe participation
in or return to sport after a Neurological injury/diagnosis to how assessment
and training of the nervous system can optimize performance. I believe
that the benefits of sport and exercise to the brain will significantly
improve both Neurological and overall health across the lifespan.
I serve as a neurological medical consultant to professional athletes and
agents across the country, professional sports organizations and leagues,
collegiate athletic departments, and many high schools and youth sports/club
athletic teams in this capacity.
My practice is healthy, busy, specialized, varied and unique. I'm thrilled
that it found me. And I’m honored to treat you.