Athletic Training Proposal

Athletic training is a field of medicine often overlooked and misunderstood by those not familiar with its practice. An understanding of the muscular and skeletal structures of the body is necessary, and it largely deals with working alongside both professional and amateur athletes. I find athletic training to be an interesting career path as I would be working alongside athletes and helping them to overcome injuries that effect their everyday lives. I feel that athletic training would be a rewarding career as it allows you to actively serve others and help change their lives in ways many other professions are unable to do.
Description:
Athletic training is focused on the prevention of injury in all cases of physical exertion, as well as
As such, in this paper the requirements for entry into the Brigham Young University’s (BYU) athletic training program will be discussed. While the National Athletic Trainers Association does not have specific entry requirements, most accredited programs have similar requirements, as the all must go through the NATA. At BYU, students are required to complete four classes before acceptance into the program may be considered. These classes are Human Anatomy and Human Physiology, and Basic Exercise Science alongside the Basic Exercise Science Lab course. In addition, students are required to complete an application form including an essay, have a physical examination while providing immunization records, meet the technical standards of the athletic training program, submit at least one letter of recommendation, complete 30 hours of clinical observation in BYU and high school athletic training settings, and finally, complete an interview with the athletic training admissions committee (BS in Athletic Training MAP Sheet). While these are the specific requirements for being submitted into the BYU athletic training program, many schools have similar requirements which vary only slightly depending on the school and the classes it
However, due to the current educational requirements for athletic trainers being relatively low compared to other healthcare professions, many athletic trainers are not paid very much. Another issue of the athletic trainer occupation is that it often requires long hours, and extreme dedication. Many athletic trainers that work with either professional or university athletic programs face days with practice beginning very early and ending very late, creating a lot of strain on those working. Athletic trainers can also be pressured by coaches as well as athletes to make decisions not beneficial to the patients they are treating. A large issue facing athletic trainers as of late however are the ethical problems that may be encountered in their position. Athletic trainers work very closely with both athletes and coaches, and as such often are privy to information within a team or can grow to know athletes and coaches very well. How this can be a problem ethically is that if players are injured, athletic trainers may feel more inclined to ignore the actual severity of an athlete’s injury in order to not let a coach or athlete down (Peer). Athletic trainers may also learn of information which may not be allowed based on some leagues standards, but feel inclined to not reveal this information in order to preserve an athlete’s eligibility (Peer). These are all issues that may face athletic trainers on a day