Mission Statement
In order to support the Michigan State University mission of attaining excellence in all programs and activities, the Michigan State University Sports Medicine Team is committed to delivering the highest quality health care to all of its student athletes. This challenge for high achievement creates a dynamic atmosphere suitable for some of the most knowledgeable athletic trainers working in intercollegiate athletics today.
The Profession of Athletic Training
Athletic training is a major specialty in the field of sports medicine where active daily involvement with athletes, physicians, and coaches affects the health care and well-being of the competitive and recreational athlete. Through a combination of medical specialists and the active commitment of the athletic trainer, the sports medicine team at Michigan State University covers a broad entity of healthcare. At MSU, the athletic training student is offered a wide interdisciplinary base of educational and professional development capable of preparing him or her for future job opportunities in the collegiate, professional, clinical, high school, or industrial setting.
Michigan State's educational curriculum program involves an aggressive hands-on experiential learning structure blended with an academically enriched curricula. The Michigan State University student athletic trainer is exposed to current state-of-the-art philosophies, equipment, and research in athletic training. The coeducational athletic training program encourages both the undergraduate and graduate level student athletic trainer to experience a broad range of medical and intercollegiate opportunities through a greater awareness into the field of sports medicine.
The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training (CAATE) in 2006 began the requirement that an Athletic Training major involved in undergraduate education must be identified on a student's transcript in order for an undergraduate's athletic training educational program to become and remain accredited. Initial CAAHEP accreditation was secured at Michigan State University in 2004. However, it was initially designated as a specialization under Michigan State University's Department of Kinesiology's major. Therefore, in the spring, 2007, Dr. Tracey Covassin, director of undergraduate athletic training education, completed all the necessary requests, forms, and curriculum committee's approvals to establish the Michigan State University athletic training student with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training.
Undergraduate athletic training students will complete the two year athletic training curriculum major program while working with numerous athletic teams at MSU, gaining knowledge through a variety of situations, settings, and exposures. During the undergraduate athletic training student's second year in the program, he or she will be placed in the role of head athletic training student of an MSU intercollegiate team working directly with an Approved Clinical Instructor. The athletic training student will assist in decision making opportunities, physician consultations, injury evaluation discussions, and communication situations with intercollegiate coaches, athletes, team physicians, and athletic training supervisors.
The aggressive graduate assistant athletic trainer will be expected to commit two years to the athletic training program while being challenged academically and professionally in the field of athletic training. Educational and research oriented opportunities incorporate experiences from the Department of Kinesiology, Osteopathic Medicine, Human Medicine, and various sports medicine clinical rotation services. Sport coverage and teaching assignments are delegated to all graduate assistants during their two-year tenure. Experiences in four local high school settings are available in yearly appointments.
In order for our program to succeed, students who accept the challenge from themselves and others will find the benefits of this program unparalleled. Michigan State University's educationally and clinically experienced athletic training alumni offer a strong supportive family atmosphere for employment, mentoring, and research development. "Critical thinking" is a term the student will begin to hear and understand throughout his or her athletic training career at MSU. Dedication and motivation are two key components that will play an integral part in the success of the student athletic trainer's personal career. By maintaining an overall pride and positive attitude towards MSU athletic training, success and future growth is attainable.