June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 1

Christopher D. Ingersoll, PhD, ATC, FACSMJoe H. Gieck Professor of Sports Medicine

Why Certified Students Should Enroll in an

Accredited Graduate Program

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 2

What is Graduate Education? “A graduate program is

generally more focused on a specific area of interest and acquiring specialized skills to practice a profession or do advanced research. It requires active participation in research and/or internships to practice professional skills.”

Graduate School and You (Council of Graduate Schools)

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 3

Why Go to Graduate School?

Knowledge

Opportunity

Fame and fortune

Personal fulfillment

Better job

More money

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 4

Knowledge

The more we know, the better we can treat patients

Having an identifiable body of knowledge distinguished us as a profession

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 5

Opportunity

College/University athletic training positions (6-17-03)• Masters required: 31

• Masters preferred: 36

• Bachelors: 15

College/University Position Degree Requirements

Bachelors

MastersPreferredMastersRequired

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 6

Fame and Fortune

High profile and high paying positions in athletic training are often held by those with experience and a graduate degree

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 7

Personal Fulfillment

Graduate education offers the opportunity to become an expert in an area

Deeper understanding and obtaining the tools for self learning fulfill intrinsic needs of professional people

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 8

Better Job

Applied, experiential, and propositional knowledge obtained during graduate program allows ATCs to compete for better job opportunities

Obtaining a graduate degree allows ATCs to be upwardly mobile

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 9

More Money

ATCs with a Masters degree make $3,942 more per year than ATCs with Bachelors degree

• NATA News, April 2003

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 10

Fundamental Skills Gained From Graduate Education

Thinking logically; dealing with complexity

Problem solving

Conceptualizing and abstracting

Formulating problems; modeling

Creating new ideas or innovative approaches

Understanding, not memorizing

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 11

In Graduate Athletic Training Programs, Students Should Learn to:

Appreciate complexity

Appreciate dichotomies

Appreciate contradictions

Appreciate generalizations

Learn about human variability

Learn limit of your knowledge

Develop special knowledges and skills

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 12

How to Pick a Graduate ProgramSpecialty area of study offeredProgram philosophyReputation of school or participating facultyJob placementGeographic locationTuition and availability of financial supportAvailability of support services and infrastructureTime required to complete degreeEnvironmentPersonal circumstances

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 13

Common Advice to the Newly Certified

“Since you did your undergraduate work at an accredited program, you don’t need to attend an accredited graduate program.”

“You need to get your Masters in something else because athletic training alone is not enough to get a job.”

“It doesn’t matter what you get your Masters degree in as long as you have one.”

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 14

Why Are We Giving Such Advice?

Graduate programs used to be a route to certification• Programs had to meet needs of

“advanced” and “entry-level” students

• Graduate programs of study used to look very similar to undergraduate courses of study

• Students from accredited undergraduate programs may have not been challenged during this time

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 15

Why Are We Giving Such Advice?

Recommendations for graduate education have been based largely on the clinical experience available, not the educational program available• This may be helpful for developing clinical savvy, developing a network,

refining clinical skills (you will learn something from everyone you work with), and learning about a setting that interests you

• The lack of a well designed graduate athletic training program to contextualize these clinical experiences diminishes their effectiveness

• Professionals need the “whys” as well as the “hows”• Profession-specific self learning skills may not be developed

• There is a myth that you must work with a certain level of athletics as a graduate assistant in order to get a job later in that type of environment

• Bottom line: we can develop situations where students can have both, so let’s do it! (Some are)

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 16

Why an Accredited Program?

To become an expert in athletic training, students need advanced education in athletic training

Critical thinking skills, coursework, clinical opportunities and mentoring are more focused towards the athletic training profession

Knowledge that accredited programs meet established standards and undergo rigorous external review

Athletic Training research experience develops the skills and mindset necessary to practice in the spirit of evidence-based medicine

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 17

So, What’s Wrong with Pursuing a Different Area of Study?

Nothing, provided it will meet your professional needs

Studying in a different area will broaden your knowledge, but will not necessarily provide depth and context in the domains of athletic training

Research opportunity may be present, but may provide irrelevant context and/or limited clinical skill development

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 18

Challenges

Students who wish to become experts in athletic training should pursue advanced degrees in athletic training

Accredited graduate programs must provide advanced instruction and experiences in athletic training (i.e., MS should not stand for More of the Same)

Institutions that have graduate programs in athletic training that are not NATA-accredited should pursue accreditation

Institutions that do not currently have graduate programs in athletic training, but could support one, should develop an accredited program in athletic training to provide needed variety

June 26, 2003 NATA Grad Ed Session 19

Thank You