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An athletic trainer is a person who, as a result of training and experience, is capable of working with physically active individuals (including athletes) and their environment to help prevent injuries, advise them concerning appropriate equipment, recognize and evaluate injuries, administer emergency treatment, and determine if specialized medical care is required.
The athletic trainer, as part of the health care team, also is involved in rehabilitating those who have experienced sports or activity-related injuries.
Why
Study Athletic Training at Iowa?
The athletic training program provides concentrated studies and clinical experiences leading to eligibility for national certification in athletic training. It is cosponsored by the Department of Integrative Physiology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Carver College of Medicine, making it unique among athletic training programs nationally. It has been described by the American Medical Association as a “model” athletic training program.
Faculty
The program’s seven outstanding faculty members, combined with the excellent integrative physiology department faculty, place a high priority on teaching, clinical service, and research. Faculty are actively involved in the care of athletes and physically active patients. They also do clinical research and publish in professional journals about such topics as ACL rehabilitation, unloader bracing, eating and exercise disorders, and concussion injury databases. They often work with faculty in other departments.
Faculty members also encourage students to participate in clinical research.
Students
Students in athletic training have a well-rounded education, solid communication skills, high academic achievement, and are very motivated. About half are preparing for graduate or professional school. Admission is limited; only 16 students are admitted each year from an average of 50 applicants. The grade-point average (GPA) of these students typically ranges from 2.80 to 3.80.
Facilities
The integrative physiology department houses classrooms and a teaching laboratory. The orthopaedics department houses the Sports Medicine Clinic, oversees four athletic training rooms, and supports research laboratories. Undergraduates use these facilities for instruction, clinical instruction and experiences, and research.
Admission
Admission to this major is competitive. Entering first-year students are designated as having an interest in the major for advising assignments and course selection. Criteria considered for acceptance to athletic training include GPA, a standard exam, health care experiences, writing and speaking skills, and an interview. Specifically, to be considered for admission, students must maintain at least a 2.50 GPA on all undergraduate course work, and a grade of C or higher in all prerequisite courses.
Also required are the Exploring Athletic Training course and at least 14 semester hours of college credit. Because the degree in athletic training signifies that the holder is a clinician prepared for entry into the practice of athletic training within a variety of employment and education settings, graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. These abilities and expectations are reflected in the admission technical standards reviewed by the program.
Course
Work
Athletic training students usually enter the program at the start of their sophomore year. First-year students take prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, psychology, anatomy, educational psychology, and statistics. They also must become certified in first aid and CPR before clinical assignments begin.
A formal admission application is submitted before the second semester of the first year. During the second year at Iowa, students finish prerequisite courses in basic athletic training, health or pathology, and physics.
Requirements for athletic training include the following clinical and basic science classes:
- Practicums
I, II, III,
IV
- Anatomy
- Human Movement
- Human Physiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Administration
of Athletic Training Programs
- Treatment Skills
- Orientation to
Clinical Skills
- Evaluation Skills
- Emergency Care
for Athletes
- Rehabilitation
Skills
- Counseling
- Nutrition
- Pharmacology
All students,
many of whom qualify for honors, are required to complete a senior project.
Careers
This degree program prepares students for employment opportunities as health care professionals for sports medicine clinics and industrial settings. Additional education usually is required for employment with professional or collegiate athletic programs. Teacher certification is recommended but not required.
Iowa’s athletic training program has an outstanding placement rate. About half of graduates pursue graduate or professional schools, while others work in hospitals or clinics. Typically there is 100 percent placement for either graduate assistantships or employment.
Scholarships
There are several scholarships available to students studying athletic training. One is the Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to nationally selected sophomores and juniors intending to pursue careers in a number of other science-related fields. Its value is $7,000 a year for up to two years. Another is the George S. Schaeffer Scholarship, a $1,500 award given to currently enrolled full-time undergraduates from an Iowa farming community who are science majors with strong academic records in their department. Other awards are made possible through alumni contributions, such as the Kevin N. Negaard and the David and Jeri Johnston scholarships, and through intercollegiate athletics.
Refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid for
a complete list of available scholarships.
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