Athletic Training
Athletic Trainers (ATs) are healthcare professionals who render service or treatment under the direction of or in collaboration with a physician, in accordance with their education and training and the states' statutes, rules, and regulations. Services provided by ATs include injury and illness prevention, wellness promotion and education, emergent care, examination and clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers perform these services as part of a healthcare team, often collaborating with a variety of other health professionals including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and physician assistants, among others. Athletic trainers are employed in a variety of settings including high school, college, or professional sports as well as in industrial settings, military and police academies, and physician offices. In these settings, athletic trainers are often the first person to see the patient after injury; as such, athletic trainers must have strong anatomy, physiology, and injury evaluation skills.
Athletic trainers typically do the following:
- Interact with patients in the areas of risk reduction, wellness, and health literacy
- Perform injury assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis of medical conditions
- Plan for, supervise, and coordinate critical incident management
- Work with a healthcare team to coordinate and perform therapeutic intervention techniques to facilitate patient recovery
- Engage in healthcare administration tasks and ensure professional responsibility
Quick Facts:
- As of 2020, eligibility to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination to attain the athletic trainer certification credential (i.e. “ATC”) requires graduation from an athletic training program accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Educate (CAATE). CAATE-accredited programs require a minimum of six semesters of academic coursework in conjunction with clinical education.
- Depending on the program, the GRE may be required for admission.
- Some programs require a Centralized Application Service, such as ATCAS, to complete an application to a program. Check with each individual school to determine how to apply.
- GPA requirements differ by program. Generally, a 3.2 or higher GPA is preferred but may not necessarily be required.
- Most programs require 2-3 recommendation letters, typically from individuals who can attest to a student’s ability to complete a rigorous professional medical program.
- For a list of accredited athletic training programs, please visit the CAATE website.
Pre-Requisite Courses for the UH Master of Athletic Training program:
- Biology (3 credit hours): BIOL 1306, BIOL 1307, BIOL 1308, or BIOL 1309
- Chemistry (3 credit hours): CHEM 1305, CHEM 1311, or CHEM 1312
- Physics (3 credit hours): PHYS 1301 or PHYS 2325
- Anatomy & Physiology 1 (or equivalent) (4 credit hours): BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2101
- Anatomy & Physiology 2 (or equivalent) (4 credit hours): BIOL 2302 and BIOL 2102
- Biomechanics (3 credit hours): KIN 3309
- Exercise Physiology (3 credit hours): KIN 3306
- Motor Learning (3 credit hours): KIN 4315
- Psychology (3 credit hours): PSYC 2301
- Statistics (3 credit hours): MATH 1342, MATH 3339, or PSYC 2317
- Nutrition (3 credit hours): NUTR 2332
The above courses are the required prerequisites for the UH Master of Athletic Training program and are equivalent to the minimum requirements at most athletic training programs; actual requirements can vary by school. This list does not include all courses that may be required by Athletic Training programs. Additionally, schools have differing policies for accepting AP/IB credits to fulfill prerequisites. Students are responsible for verifying the prerequisite coursework and AP/IB policies of the schools to which they plan to apply.
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