Athletic Training Education Program Introduction
Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care field. A Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) is an educated and skilled professional that meets the entry-level educational competencies and clinical proficiencies established by the National
Athletic Trainers' Association Education Council (NATAEC) and successfully complete the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.
An athletic trainer is knowledgeable and skilled in the following areas:
- Prevention of athletic injuries
- Clinical evaluation and diagnosis
- Immediate care of injuries and illnesses
- Treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries
- Health care organization and administration
- Professional development and responsibility
To be eligible to become an ATC, one must complete an athletic training education program
(ATEP) and graduate from an accredited college or university in the United States. Completing the ATEP ensures that a student will have addressed all educational competencies and clinical proficiencies established by the NATAEC, will possess the entry level knowledge and skills of a certified athletic trainer, and will be eligible to take the BOC examination.
Certified athletic trainers practice in a variety of settings and roles. The traditional setting, where many athletic trainers are employed, is the athletic training room within an interscholastic or intercollegiate athletic program. Other sites include professional sports, hospitals, fitness and wellness centers in an industrial setting, physical therapy facilities, sports medicine clinics, and others.
The Athletic Training Room provides a unique learning environment for athletic training students: They can apply knowledge, acquire new skills, and practice these skills under the guidance of a certified athletic trainer. Under the supervision of certified athletic trainers, students of athletic training have the opportunity to gain "hands on" experience through the care of athletes and the physically active. The athletic training room will provide a means to integrate academic knowledge with clinical practice.
Weekly meetings, daily proficiency practice and evaluation, and continual written and verbal feedback provide a way to facilitate the integration of academic knowledge and clinical skills. This competency-based program has been developed to guide students through their education experience, enhance the learning environment, provide faculty and staff athletic trainers with an assessment tool, and optimize the quality of care provided to the physically active population.