PROGRAM INFORMATION

Prospective Students

Athletic training is an exciting and rapidly growing field and the Waynesburg University Athletic Training Program is committed to staying a step ahead. The department restructured courses and have extended our clinical practicum courses which are designed to provide students with more directed, hands-on clinical experience and practice through the three years in the major.

As a student in our program you can expect to evaluate injuries, treat patients with therapeutic modalities, and rehabilitate post-operative patients. In addition, our faculty and administration are committed to our program and your professional preparation. Our program mission is to prepare you for a career in Athletic Training and/or a related allied health profession. The curriculum emphasizes lifelong learning, clinical excellence, compassion, quality health care, and service. Successful completion of our program enables you to sit for the Board of Certification (BOC) examination.

The main emphasis of the Waynesburg University Athletic Training Program is to develop strong clinicians; athletic trainers who not only know what to do in any given situation, but also know why they are doing it. To achieve this, evidence based practice is emphasized throughout the curriculum. There is also an emphasis on critical thinking and a well-rounded knowledge base, as these qualities are essential for success in our rapidly changing society.

Once you become involved in our Athletic Training Program, you will be exposed to a wide variety of challenging hands-on clinical experiences. As your skills develop, you will provide health care to Waynesburg’s intercollegiate athletes under the direct supervision of an Approved Clinical Instructor in affiliated settings, like area high schools and sports medicine clinics.

In recent years, students in the Athletic Training Program have applied the skills they learned in the classroom in a variety of ways. In December of 2009, students traveled to Camp Lejeune Marine base in Jacksonville, N.C. with Michele Kabay, director of athletic training education and assistant professor at Waynesburg University, to work with Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapy (SMART) Clinics and gained a military perspective of the athletic training field. Students have also spent time at the Pittsburgh Steeler’s training camp observing how their athletic training staff functioned.

The Athletic Training Program is looking for highly motivated, intelligent, conscientious individuals who are interested in learning how to provide quality health care to physically active patients and become positive contributors to the athletic training profession. If you are looking for a dynamic and challenging athletic training experience, consider the Waynesburg University Athletic Training Program.

The Waynesburg University Athletic Training Education Program accepts students to the program at the end of the sophomore year. We are eligible to accept 14 student to each class. The classes average 8-12 students per year. Our students are very dedicated to their education and have a wide array of goals. Feel free to browse our current students by clicking on each class to the right.

Athletic Training Education Mission Statement

The Waynesburg University Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) seeks to prepare Athletic Training Students for successful careers by instilling a comprehensive liberal arts education and in-depth study in Athletic Training. The program provides opportunities for students to achieve balance between academic scholarship and the acquisition of skills necessary for careers in athletic training and health care. The curriculum design provides opportunities for the development, synthesis, and demonstration of cognitive competency and professional behavior. The curriculum is guided by the Athletic Training Educational Competencies established by the National Athletic Trainers' Association along with the Judeo-Christian principles on which the University was founded. The NATA Code of Ethics guides our efforts to provide the means, inspiration and values that will enable our ATSs to pursue successful, productive and compassionate lives of service.

The ATEP seeks to provide flexibility within the major to meet the different career selections within the sports medicine field. Our program continued its accreditation status in 2006 by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).The first function of the Athletic Training Education Program is the education of students who have chosen athletic training as a major course of study. The education program consists of two phases.

1. Athletic Training Basic Program (ATBP):

This program consists of basic course work and directed clinical observation taken during the first year to build a foundation of basic knowledge in athletic training. Students must then apply for admission into the ATAP during the second semester of the freshman year.

2. Athletic Training Advanced Program (ATAP):

For students admitted, the last three years entail advanced specialized courses and clinical practicum experiences. Both the ATBP and ATAP consist of formal course work and clinical observation/proficiencies requirements. Students must fulfill these requirements and progress from ATBP to ATAP. Selection of Athletic Training Students into the ATAP is based on specific guidelines set forth by Waynesburg University Athletic Training Education Program (see admission policy). A ratio of 8:1 is recommended (eight students to one certified athletic trainer) to ensure adequate clinical instruction and supervision of students within the ATAP. As such, Waynesburg University has established academic and clinical requirements for progression within the Athletic Training Education Program with a selection process into the ATAP program. (See clinical education requirements)

Educational Goals:

• Prepare each athletic training student for a successful career as a certified athletic trainer.
• Produce athletic training students adequately prepared to succeed on the BOC examination.
  
• Produce athletic training students/graduates who are prepared in using technology in the delivery of athletic training services.
  
• Produce athletic training students/graduates who are prepared for pursuing graduate degrees in athletic training or a related area of other allied health professions.

   
• Produce athletic training students/graduates who are adept in interpreting and utilizing research in the delivery of athletic training services.
• Provide an atmosphere that is conducive to quality education for Athletic Training Students.
• Follow guidelines and standards established by the NCAA, NATA, and CAATE.

   
• Expose the Athletic Training Students to a variety of injury treatments and rehabilitation techniques.