Athletic trainers help prevent and treat injuries for people of all ages. Their patients and clients include everyone from professional athletes to industrial workers. Recognized by the American Medical Association as allied health professionals, athletic trainers specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of muscle and bone injuries and illnesses. Athletic trainers, as one of the first healthcare providers on the scene when injuries occur, must be able to recognize, evaluate, and assess injuries and provide immediate care when needed. Athletic trainers should not be confused with fitness trainers or personal trainers, who are not healthcare workers, but rather train people to become physically fit.
Athletic training is excellent undergraduate preparation for graduate programs in the healthcare professions, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic and medical school, among others.
*The above information is pulled
directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor. For more information, please visit the BLS website.
Natasha Smith talks about her experience