MSAT clinical experiences
Clinical experiences housed within the MSAT curriculum will place students in a variety of work settings under the supervision of either a certified athletic trainer (ATC) or licensed physician. The goal of clinical experiences is to expose students to a variety of practice settings in order to help shape their own career trajectory, develop their clinical skills, expand their professional network and experience the day-to-day work environment of certified athletic trainers.
Clinical experiences are essential to incorporate the knowledge, evidence and information learned in the classroom setting and apply it to the practical setting. Through the clinical experiences, students develop fundamentals of domain and practice, apply basic tenets of athletic training and practice and enhance skills of observation, screening, evaluation, intervention, communication and professionalism. The students emerge in their roles as future athletic trainers and begin to develop the personal and professional skills needed to succeed as an entry-level practitioner upon graduation from the MSAT program.
Clinical experiences are a required component of an athletic training education as defined by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Students must have practice opportunities with a variety of patient populations. This variety includes patients throughout the lifespan (pediatric, adult, elderly), different sexes, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnicities and varying levels of athletic ability. In addition, students will have the opportunity to work with patients with a variety of conditions including but not limited to emergent, behavioral health, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. Students must pass all of their clinical experiences and successfully complete all coursework in order qualify to take the National Board for Certification in Athletic Training (BOC) examination and graduate.
The MSAT has:
- 7 clinical experiences
- 14 credits for clinical experiences
- 560 clinical hours are required
Settings may include middle/high school athletics, intercollegiate athletics and semi-professional sports. Traditional clinical settings include working with athletes with varying degrees of ability and experience. Messiah University has relationships with many private and public high schools in the area, as well as Dickinson College and Gettysburg College.
Non-traditional clinical experiences include working with an athletic trainer or a physician with patients who participate in non-sport activities. This includes the opportunity to work with participants in the military, industrial, occupational, leisure activities and the performing arts. This setting provides the opportunity to work in general practice and orthopedic clinics, human performance training facilities, physical therapy clinics, emergency departments, medical fitness facilities and others.
Messiah University has relationships with OSS Health, Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania (OIP), WellSpan, Select Medical, Lancaster General Health, and Family Practice Center.
The MSAT student will complete three immersive clinical experiences. An immersive experience is a practice-intensive experience that allows the student to experience the totality of care provided by athletic trainers. The student will participate in the day-to-day and week-to-week role of an athletic trainer for a set period of time (four or eight weeks).
The first and second immersive clinical experiences will take place during the spring of year one. The student will complete two 4-week immersive experiences in the non-traditional setting. The student will be assigned to an athletic trainer or physician who is working with a diverse population.
The third immersive clinical experience will take place during the final semester of the MSAT program. The student will be expected to integrate prior learning and experiences as they complete higher-level requirements and execute higher-level responsibilities. The goal of this immersive experience is to learn how to be an entry-level athletic trainer. Students are required to complete an eight-week immersive experience in a setting and location of their choice. Students will be supervised by an athletic trainer with at least one year of experience who is licensed and certified. Successful completion of all academic coursework from an accredited institution and an immersive experience is necessary for graduation and will qualify the student to take the National Board for Certification in Athletic Training (BOC) examination.
Questions?
Clinical experiences at Messiah University are managed by the director of clinical education. For questions or more information related to clinical experiences, contact Brenda White, Ph.D., LAT, ATC at bwhite@messiah.edu or 717-796-1800 ext. 3400.