Nov 04, 2024  
2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Athletic Training Program


Director
Ron Walker

Professor
John Caruso

Clinical Professors
Greg Gardner
Robin Ploeger

Associate Professors
Jan Drummond
Eric Wickel

Clinical Associate Professors
Samantha Summers
Ron Walker
Jason West

The athletic training program is an undergraduate program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). It is designed to provide structured didactic and clinical experiences to prepare students for a career in athletic training. Students are encouraged to become members of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Outcomes for the athletic training program are:

  • Demonstrate proficiency in the domains of athletic training as established by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and
  • Demonstrate the ability to utilize evidence based practice research to analyze a given situation and provide the appropriate response in clinical practice.

Students desiring to enter this program must complete the athletic training application process, which includes submitting an application and letters of recommendation. After submission of the application materials and admission to the University, the prospective student will receive information about the health and safety requirements of the program, which must be completed as outlined below. During the fall semester, the prospective athletic training student will complete prerequisite courses, acquire a minimum of 80 hours of observation experience in scheduled rotations, and sit for an interview with the athletic training faculty and staff. Formal acceptance into the athletic training program may be granted upon successful completion of prerequisite coursework, observation hours, the interview, and other university and CAATE standards. Due to the program’s clinical requirement, only a limited number of students are accepted each year.

Upon acceptance to the program, the student will progress through the sequence of didactic, practicum, and clinical experience courses. Athletic training students who earn less than a B in any athletic training didactic or practicum course or less than a C in any foundation or clinical experience course must repeat that course. Athletic training students must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 2.8 on the 4.0 scale. Any student who falls below this standard or is not making progress in the athletic training courses will be placed on probation for the following semester. The student will be notified of their probation status in a letter from the program director. The letter will also explain the progress that must be made during the subsequent semester in order to be removed from probation. The student will be dismissed from the program if adequate progress is not made. Petition for readmission must be made to the program director. The Athletic Training Council will make readmission decisions following a formal petition by the student.

As a part of each practicum course, the student will become proficient in the required psychomotor skills. A significant amount of time will be required for the clinical rotations that are part of each clinical experience class; students will be directly supervised by Board of Certification, Inc., certified and Oklahoma licensed athletic trainers. During the clinical experience rotations, students will complete clinical proficiencies, learning-over-time evaluations, and other assignments that assess learning.

Health and Safety Requirements

All students in the athletic training program must adhere to the following health and safety requirements:

Criminal Background Check: Students are required to submit to a criminal background check upon formal admission to the program as required by the contract with off-campus clinical agencies. This will allow proper placement of students for off-campus rotations.

Liability Insurance: Liability insurance is required for all students who have been formally accepted into the athletic training program. Liability insurance fees are listed in the  section of this Bulletin and are automatically billed to the student’s account through the Bursar’s Office.

Health Requirements: Prior to beginning observation experiences and yearly thereafter, students must complete online training in blood-borne pathogens, HIPAA, the Right to Know (OSHA communication standard), and TB prevention. During the prospective semester, students are required to present proof of the following immunizations and screenings to the School of Nursing: TB test (using CDC guidelines for two step method or chest X-ray), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (TdaP), hepatitis B, varicella and flu. These may be done at the Alexander Health Center on campus for a fee or at a private physician’s office. Students who do not desire the required rubella or hepatitis B immunization must sign a waiver.

Transportation and Uniforms: Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to off-campus clinical sites and are required to buy their own uniforms in accordance with the program dress code. Some uniforms may be provided by the Department of Athletics. See the Athletic Training Student Handbook for dress code.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Students must provide documentation of American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certification after completing  and must maintain continuous certification throughout the remainder of the program.

Physical Exam: Students must submit documentation of a recent physical examination by a physician of the student’s choice. This must be completed prior to beginning observation experiences during the prospective semester.

Written Technical Standards: The written technical standards verify that the student is capable of meeting minimum standards relating to physical, mental, and emotional health with or without accommodations. A physician of the student’s choice must sign this form. This form must be completed prior to beginning observation experiences during the prospective semester.

Apprentice Licensure Status: Students are required to obtain apprentice athletic trainer status through the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision upon formal admission to the program.

Completion of the degree requirements in the athletic training program at The University of Tulsa entitles the recipient to apply to sit for the national athletic training certification examination through the Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC). Although the degree recipient is qualified to sit for the examination, permission to sit for the exam is controlled by BOC and the decision is completely within the agency’s jurisdiction.