ATHLETIC TRAINING OUTREACH PROGRAM AT MISSOULA BONE & JOINT

Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians. They must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum and they must be board certified and licensed in the state in which they practice. ATCs may provide services such as injury prevention, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.

• Recreational, amateur, and professional athletes
• Individuals who have suffered musculoskeletal injuries
• Those seeking strength, conditioning, fitness, and performance enhancement
• Others delegated by the physician

Outside of athletic settings, ATCs provide services to people of all ages. ATCs may work in:

• Physician offices as a physician extender, similar to nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, and other professional clinical personnel
• Rural and urban hospitals, hospital emergency rooms, urgent and ambulatory care centers
• Clinics with specialties in sports medicine, cardiac rehab, medical fitness, wellness, and physical therapy
• Occupational health departments in commercial settings, which include manufacturing, distribution, and offices to assist with ergonomics
• Police and fire departments and academies, public safety and municipal departments, branches of the military
• Public and private secondary schools, colleges and universities

An athletic trainer must earn a degree from an accredited athletic training curriculum. More than 70 percent of certified athletic trainers hold at least a master’s degree. Classroom learning is enhanced through clinical education experiences. Accredited programs include formal instruction in areas such as:

• Risk management and injury prevention
• Human anatomy and physiology
• Pathology of injuries and illnesses
• Orthopedic clinical examination and diagnosis
• Assessment of injury/illness
• Medical conditions and disabilities
• Acute care of injuries and illnesses
• Therapeutic modalities
• Conditioning, rehabilitative exercise, and referral
• Pharmacology
• Psychosocial intervention and referral
• Nutritional aspects of injuries and illnesses
• First aid and emergency care
• Health care administration