Athletic trainers are mainly recognized as the khaki-clad health professionals rushing out on the field or court to tend to an injured player. What is less recognizable are the sophisticated levels of active research and clinical practice needed to keep the dynamic profession at peak performance.
FIU’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences is moving the profession forward with the launch of the first Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program in the southeast U.S. and one of only six in the country responding to the discipline’s growing need for post-professional degrees.
.jpg)
The program will be led by new chair of the FIU Department of Athletic Training, Shawn Dale Felton.“The DAT is the academic progression of our profession toward higher levels of clinical, evidence-based practice, research and leadership,” Professor Felton said. “Graduates of our DAT will be applying advanced clinical skills to improve patient outcomes and engage in research to proactively develop and implement injury and illness prevention strategies to become health care innovators.”
Athletic trainers study the importance of science in sports and exercise to collaborate with physicians and other health professionals in providing the proper exercises needed to prevent injuries, as well as assist in rehabilitation and therapeutic intervention.
Most athletic trainers have a master’s degree in their field. However, trainers with doctoral degrees are desired by most employers for their advanced aptitude to assess, diagnose, treat and use rehabilitation for all types of injuries.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 23 percent by 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase as people become more aware of the effects of sports-related injuries, and as the middle-aged and older population remains active.