Athletic training is a health care profession that specializes in prevention, identification, evaluation and treatment of athletic injuries and illnesses. Athletic trainers are responsible for emergency care for athletes during practice or competition and are often employed by professional and collegiate sports teams. To become an athletic trainer, you must have formal training and education from an accredited four-year university, hands-on experience working at a clinic or wellness center, game competition and practice, and affiliation with a national organization for sports medicine.
Education
There are about 350 accredited undergraduate athletic training programs in the United States, and 47 states require athletic trainers to be licensed or registered with the state.
A minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited university is required to practice athletic training. Students in this major study and practice many medical, wellness and legal topics such as therapeutic exercise, anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, sports psychology and applicable professional standards and regulations. In the first two semesters, students must have taken basic science courses such as general biology, chemistry, and physics, before progressing to more specific courses such as sports injury management and clinical evaluation of injuries. Most undergraduate programs require students to intern about 1,800 hours in college intercollegiate sports programs and clinical settings.
Students may also pursue higher education in athletic training such as earning a master's degree or a doctorate.
Certification
Students who graduate from their undergraduate studies are eligible to take the board of certification exam, which is a comprehensive written exam that deals with decision making, legal and technical knowledge, clinical scenarios, ethics and common sense. Athletic trainers must get recertified every 3 years to maintain current professional status by taking continuing education courses.
In addition to the board exam, athletic trainers must be certified in basic first aid, CPR and AED by the American Red Cross or another accredited emergency care provider.
Human Relations
Because athletic trainers work with different kinds of people directly, they must be able to communicate clearly in order to avoid misunderstandings, especially among the team physician, coach and athlete. They must be able to remain calm and think clearly under stress and be able to make quick but accurate decisions regarding injury management and rehabilitation when there is no one else to refer to. When dealing with patients or peers, athletic trainers must not take issues personally and be able to handle situations in a professional, non-biased manner.
References
- "Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition"; Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2010
- "Essentials to Athletic Training"; Daniel Arnheim, William Prentice; 2002
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