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TTUHSC LAUNCHES UNIQUE ATHLETIC TRAINING PROGRAM
LUBBOCK -- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center's School of Allied Health has launched a rehabilitation sciences graduate program like no other in Texas.
The new master of athletic training program, one of only three that exists in the country at a university medical center, was approved by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board in July, said LesLee Taylor, program director.
"This fall we have 13 students taking courses," she said. "But the first official full class of 20 students will begin next summer. Once they have completed this 53-hour graduate program, students will be ready for the national certification exam and the licensure exam of the Texas Department of Health."
H.H. Merrifield, Ph.D., associate dean for the School of Allied Health and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, said the new program is just one of many ways TTUHSC is meeting changing needs in health care delivery. "With health care becoming increasingly specialized, we think this program will provide not only career opportunities for graduates, but also serve the needs of people in West Texas and across the nation," he said.
Taylor noted there is a national movement toward entry-level athletic training graduate programs, giving students with a broad range of undergraduate degrees the opportunity to become certified in athletic training.
"In the past at Texas Tech, if someone wanted to be certified in athletic training, they had to complete 1,500 internship hours and pass the certification exam," she said. "By 2004, the internship route will no longer be an option anywhere in the nation."
Careers for athletic trainers are available in many areas, including public schools, college and university athletic departments and outpatient rehabilitation clinics.
Taylor said one focus of the program is to cater to the West Texas community. "Most graduates from programs like this tend to stay in the West Texas ar
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