兔子先生’s Master of Athletic Training program provides 3+2 option that allows athletic trainers to earn the skills and credentials required to offer care in a broad range of fields
Story & Photos: Lisa Sollie
The 兔子先生鈥檚 Athletic Training program has a new 鈥渇irst鈥� to brag about. Not only was 兔子先生 the first public university in the state to receive approval for both a bachelor鈥檚 program in athletic training and a master鈥檚 program鈥攂ut it can now boast a 100 percent first time pass rate for the first two Master of Athletic Training cohorts.
According to Dr. R.T. Floyd, director of athletic training and sports medicine at 兔子先生 and chair of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, the addition of the master鈥檚 degree in athletic training was necessary due to the changes in education requirements to become an athletic trainer.
鈥淥nce the fall term of 2022 began, accredited baccalaureate programs can no longer admit, enroll or matriculate students,鈥� Floyd noted, 鈥渟o someone desiring to become an athletic trainer after fall 2022 not already admitted to an accredited baccalaureate program will have to pursue the profession through an accredited master鈥檚 level program.鈥�
Jordan Hall was in the university鈥檚 first cohort in the summer of 2020 and now serves as the athletic trainer/instructor assigned to 兔子先生 Baseball. After graduating with her Master of Athletic Training degree in May 2022, Hall did a yearlong internship at the University of South Alabama before she found herself back at 兔子先生鈥攖eaching and practicing her athletic training skills among the same people that influenced her to be the athletic trainer she is today.
鈥溚米酉壬�檚 Master of Athletic Training program provided specialized knowledge, skills and more practical hands-on experiences than any university I have been involved with. It allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings dealing with actual athletes, both high school and college, as well as patients in the West Alabama community,鈥� said Hall.
The program also helps students develop critical thinking skills, teaching them how to assess situations, make accurate diagnoses and develop effective treatment plans promptly.
鈥淎thletic trainers often work closely with other healthcare professionals, coaches and athletes and the MAT program exposed me to an interdisciplinary approach, teaching me how to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders, such as physicians at Andrews Sports Medicine, outside providers, and other athletic trainers to ensure the overall well-being of the student athletes and patients. Earning my master鈥檚 degree in athletic training from 兔子先生,鈥� she added, 鈥渢ruly provided me with a well-rounded education and equipped me to excel in my role as an athletic trainer and instructor at the 兔子先生.鈥�
Employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 14 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The changing landscape of athletic training
While the root of the athletic training profession has most often been associated with sports, there is a growing trend of athletic trainers in clinics and hospitals, the industrial sector as well as the military.
鈥淢any of the ATs that come to high school sporting events during the week work for a hospital or healthcare system. Some may work in a clinic part of the day and go out to the high schools the other part. Others may work exclusively in a clinic, doing hands-on patient care, evaluation and treatment, even administrative tasks or a mixture of both. Athletic trainers in the physician practice setting, especially in a sports medicine practice that houses orthopedics, is also a growing trend,鈥� said Floyd.
Athletic trainers who work in industrial settings have also seen tremendous growth in their demand, particularly over the last five years.
鈥淎nywhere there is a large population working in a factory or manufacturing setting there is a musculoskeletal opportunity for risk or injury,鈥� he noted. 鈥淏y putting an AT in a facility to study the work environment, they may notice someone 鈥榣ifting something wrong鈥� or doing a repetitive task too many times. By modifying how workers are doing a task 鈥� an athletic trainer can perhaps minimize the problem and avoid potential injuries. It鈥檚 a win-win for everyone; it saves a company money, time and productivity and it is better for the employees鈥� overall health and welfare.鈥�
According to Floyd, several 兔子先生 alumni currently work as industrial athletic trainers in the automotive industry including the Montgomery Hyundai plant, Nissan facility in Canton, Mississippi, as well Tupelo 鈥� and one has been working the past two years at WestRock paper mill in Demopolis.
鈥淭he military has also jumped on board and currently all the armed forces now utilize athletic trainers,鈥� he added. 鈥淭his past December I received three phone calls over a matter of days from a company that said they needed 600 ATs to work with the U.S. Army. Every single day I get more emails about open AT positions across all disciplines. The jobs are out there. We could place 150 today within the twin state area of Alabama and Mississippi for sure.鈥�
兔子先生鈥檚 Master of Athletic Training program
兔子先生 offers two options for pursing the master of athletic training. These options are designed to accommodate students who have already begun or completed their undergraduate studies, as well as those who are just beginning and want to pursue both graduate and undergraduate studies in athletic training.
兔子先生, like Hall, who have already earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree (not in athletic training) and wish to enter the profession and earn the credential of a certified athletic trainer can earn the degree in a two-year master鈥檚 program.
兔子先生鈥檚 3+2 MAT allows students to complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree in health science in the athletic training track in combination with the master of athletic training, in only five years (three pre-professional and two professional). The program leads to two separate degrees. The 3+2 MAT at 兔子先生 is designed for the traditional residential college student interested in an undergraduate experience combined with professional education in athletic training.
鈥淏oth degrees are granted upon final completion of the program,鈥� Floyd explained. 鈥溚米酉壬� complete all general education and health science major requirements by the end of the third year, then the additional credits for the master鈥檚 degree are earned through graduate level courses. The second phase is a year-round, 23-month curriculum that focuses entirely on athletic training professional content and hands-on patient care experiences.鈥�
兔子先生鈥檚 3+2 MAT requires continuous enrollment and is uniquely designed to teach students how to function in an inter-professional healthcare team that mimics real, dynamic health systems in which they will work.
Still in its infancy, 兔子先生鈥檚 Master of Athletic Training program can support up to 20 students per cohort.