Introducing Athletic Training
Athletic Trainers practice sports medicine and are unique health care providers who specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses.
Athletic Training was recognized by the American Medical Association in 1991 as an Allied Health Profession.
Scope of Athletic Training Practice
Athletic Trainers, under the direction of a licensed physician, provide health care for patients within five areas of clinical practice:
- Injury/illness prevention and wellness protection
- Immediate and emergency care
- Clinical evaluation and diagnosis
- Treatment and rehabilitation
- Organizational and professional health and well-being
Duquesne's Athletic Training Education Program
The Athletic Training is a major degree program in the John G. Rangos, Sr. School of Health Sciences. In addition to Athletic Training, the Rangos School houses other allied health degree programs in Health Management Systems, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy and Speech Language Pathology, as well as a PhD program in Health Sciences with an emphasis in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
This four-year Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training degree program was granted continuing accreditation for the maximum award by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) in 2007. The next scheduled comprehensive review is scheduled for 2016.
Mission Statement
It is our Department's mission to create a positive learning environment that fosters the philosophy of serving God by serving students and preparing students to serve others through the provision of competent and compassionate Athletic Training care.
Goals of the Department
The Goals of the Department are to....
- Encourage and provide students with opportunities to examine their individual, moral and ethical foundations and to develop an appreciation of how these personal values affect their practice as individuals and health care professionals;
- Provide a variety of challenging and high quality didactic and clinical education experiences for students;
- Comply or exceed the professional practice and educational standards set by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, Board of Certification, and the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, as well as those determined by state and federal law;
- Engender students to advance the profession of Athletic Training and to instill the value and importance of professional development and leadership;
- Encourage and promote the use of evidence-based methods in both the education and practice of Athletic Training;
- Promote development and recognition of the professional faculty and students as leaders in Athletic Training and research that advances the practice of Athletic Training.
Philosophy of the Department
Athletic Training students are presented with a high quality liberal arts education, as well as opportunities to obtain a superior education in both the clinical and didactic components of professional Athletic Training education. It is the philosophy of this Department that students are to be given every opportunity to reach their fullest potentials as students, individuals, and health care professionals, and that at all times, students and faculty are required to strive to maximize those potentials. We demand excellence, expect excellence, and are never satisfied to accept the status quo. The Department also firmly believes in evidence-based practice and encourages all members of the Department in their development, advancement, and dissemination of research and scholarship that underpins the practice of medicine, Athletic Training, and other health sciences.
What You Will Learn
Students will learn and become clinically proficient in the following areas:
- Risk management and injury prevention
- Pathology of injuries & illnesses
- Orthopedic clinical examinations and diagnosis
- Medical conditions and disabilities
- Acute care of injuries and illnesses
- Therapeutic modalities
- Conditioning and rehabilitative exercise
- Pharmacology
- Psychosocial intervention and referral
- Nutritional aspects of injuries and illnesses
- Health care administration
- Professional development and responsibility
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree program, graduates of Duquesne's Athletic Training program are eligible to sit for the national examination for athletic trainers (BOC) which is a recognized practice credential in 50 states.
Pre-Professional Phase Requirements
Students are admitted directly into the Athletic Training major as freshmen; there is no second admissions process. During the first two years of the academic program, the students receive:
- Comprehensive liberal arts education
- Strong foundation in the basic sciences
- Introduction to the Athletic Training profession (two courses offered during the sophomore year).
- Opportunities to become professionally active (e.g., DUSAT - AT student organization)
- Opportunities to learn more about the profession of AT (e.g., Freshman FUNdamentals)
Learn more about the Pre-Professional and Professional Phase Requirements
Professional Phase Requirements
Students who complete the pre-professional phase successfully, move to the professional phase at the end of their sophomore year. To stay in the program:
- Students must maintain a 3.0 QPA each semester to remain in good academic standing
- Must have a professional overall QPA of 3.0 at the time of graduation to graduate with a BS in Athletic Training
- May not achieve lower than a "C" grade in any required professional course
Clinical Experiences
In addition to the classroom learning, students are required to accumulate athletic training observations and clinical experiences as part of laboratory courses; two each year during the sophomore, junior and senior years.
All clinical and field experiences are conducted under the direct supervision of highly qualified clinical preceptors.
Students should be advised that there are additional costs associated with clinical education and experiences within the Athletic Training degree program.