Interesting facts about athletic trainers

 Phoney Interesting facts about athletic trainers

1) They are the only people who can actually change your physical appearance. You may be a jock, but you're still just a human being with feelings and emotions.

2) Athletic trainers have to wear uniforms. This is because they work for the team, not the individual. It's like if a firefighter worked for his house instead of himself.

3) There is no limit to how old an athletic trainer can be, but they start at a much lower pay rate and have less responsibility (and less power) the older they get.

4) There is no limit to how many athletic trainers can be on a team. In fact, most teams have three or four.

5) You can be a college student and still be an athletic trainer. In fact, there are a lot of athletic trainers that started their careers as student assistants working for college teams.

6) There are different certification types, but the vast majority of athletic trainers have their certification from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). This is a national organization that has state affiliates, such as the one I'm a member of in my state (Pacific Northwest).

7) Many athletic trainers also have certification from other organizations, such as the certified athletic trainer (CAT) organization. These are typically boards that require more training and education than what is generally offered by most universities. The certification process can take longer as well, but many organizations offer these types of certifications.

8) It takes a lot of time and effort to become an athletic trainer. In fact, it's a two-step process. The first step is getting the required education and certification. The second step is continuing education throughout your career to stay up to date on all the advancements in athletic training as well as management skills.

9) It is common for athletic trainers to have other jobs in addition to their athletic training jobs. Many work in order to pay for their education and certification. Others work other jobs in order to have money while they look for an athletic training position.

10) Athletic trainers can work independently or in team settings. They can work for an organization that makes them full-time employees or they can work as consultants for teams. The latter is becoming more common as athletic training becomes more specialized. This is especially true in the NBA, where teams have a full-time athletic trainer, as well as a back-up who works primarily on part-time contracts.

11) The biggest organization opposing independent athletic trainers is the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). This is a private organization of coaches, trainers and others who make their living off of strength and conditioning. They are against independent athletic trainers for many reasons. Their website mentions that independent athletic trainers have less job security, less benefits and make less money.

12) There are many myths about athletic trainers in the media that don't reflect the truth at all. One of the biggest ones is that athletic trainers have a "magic pill" that fixes athletes. The reason why this myth persists is that there is a lack of long-term research on athletic trainers. This means that when athletes do succeed after working with an athletic trainer, the success is attributed to the athletic trainer.

13) Lastly, athletic trainers aren't always "in the way." In many professional stadiums and arenas, athletic trainers have their own entrances to the facility. This is also true in many college stadiums and arenas. So before you get upset about an athletic trainer "being in the way" of your game night, take a look around. Chances are, they have their own entrance and are just getting out.

14) In college sports, athletic trainers are overseen by the school's chief medical officer or medical director. In the NBA, the same is true for the team. These medical professionals are there to help, not hinder. They are also typically the main ones that make decisions on concussions, as they are in the best position to know the player's injury history.

15) The most common job functions for an athletic trainer are concussion management, pre-participation health assessment, injury management, and performance enhancement. Each of these job functions will be detailed in the sections of this article.

16) An athletic trainer is required to always be medically prepared with any necessary equipment for injury treatment. This often means that athletic trainers need to have a good working knowledge of medicine and be able to acquire or make any necessary equipment.

17) Performance enhancement is a newer addition to the job functions of an athletic trainer. It involves working with players to improve their sports performance by focusing on strength training, flexibility, balance and anatomy. It is believed that this skills development can help improve a player's endurance, strength, power, speed, flexibility and muscle tone.

18) Many young athletes suffer from a condition called "sports hernia." This is when there is too much strain placed on the pubic bone area during physical activity. One of the common sports that can cause this is soccer. There are two main types of sports hernias: internal and external. An external sports hernia is when the muscle that holds up the hip is strained, causing pain when walking. This is common in rugby players. An internal sports hernia happens when the muscles that hold up the internal organs are strained, causing pain when going to the bathroom. This is common in baseball players.

19) The average length of time for an athletic trainer to receive their certification is four years. Thirteen weeks are spent in the classroom and the rest in on-the-job training.

20) The certification that is typically required to be an athletic trainer is that of a physical therapist. This means they must first complete the Physical Therapist Assistant program. This certification has little to no regulation and there are many schools that offer this program. Many physical therapists are not athletic trainers and vice versa.

21) Keep in mind, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the largest Orthopedic board in the world. They require orthopedic surgeons to be members and pass various examinations in order to obtain that distinction. They also maintain a list of orthopedic surgery facilities in the United States and independent medical organizations that add independent judgment. This is not a list maintained by the NBA or any other professional sports league.

22) The National Athletic Trainers Association is a professional organization that only employs those that meet their standards and have met their educational requirements. They typically only accept 1% of those that seek certification.

23) Other smaller, but more focused, organizations exist for athletic trainers such as the Orthopaedic or Athletic Training ones.

The Path Forward

While the pathways to become a professional athletic trainer can be difficult to determine, the future is extremely bright. The demand for athletic trainers is on the rise and this is expected to continue.

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons produces a quarterly journal that is distributed to all of their members. It lists all orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic sub-specialists and orthopedic hospitals throughout the United States. The Athletic Trainer is currently not recognized by this organization and therefor cannot be included in this directory.

Many independent medical organizations do not recognize the athletic trainer as a legitimate profession. The National Athletic Trainer Association has actively tried to overcome or prevent such organizations from "exclusionary approaches." The NBA can encourage these groups that do not recognize the athletic trainer's certification to reconsider their position but there is no real lobbying power held by the NBA.

The most direct approach would be to encourage the orthopedic surgeons to include the athletic trainer on their lists of physicians available to their fans.

The Orthopedic Surgery Path

If one desires to become an orthopedic surgeon they should first become a physical therapy student. There are many physical therapy schools across the country. In order to become a physical therapist one must complete four years of college, three years of which are spent in the classroom and on the hospital's Orthopedic Unit. The remaining year is spent in an Orthopedic Surgery clinic as an intern; typically one third are assigned to the Orthopedic Surgery unit and two thirds to a general Orthopedic or Physical Medicine clinic.

Once the physical therapy student has completed his or her internships, the next step is to pass the licensure exams. This involves passing the National Physical Therapy Examination and the American Board of Physical Therapy Examiners Licensing Exam. The National Board is a multiple choice exam that runs $200 and can be taken in the first year of preparation. The American Board is a six hour written examination that costs $200 and can only be taken after the first year of preparation.

Once the orthopedic surgeon has completed his or her training, the next step is to achieve board certification. This is typically done through a residency program. The length of each program varies by the hospital and the needs of the orthopedic surgeon. Some programs can be completed in three years; others can take up to seven years. Residency programs include Oncology, Hip and Knee Replacement, Sports Medicine, Trauma, Adult Reconstruction, Hand, Elbow and Wrist surgery, etc. Once the Orthopedic Surgery Residency program is complete, the orthopedic surgeon is eligible to take the American Board of Surgery Certification Exam (ASCS). The ASCS is a two day, multiple choice examination that costs $800 and can only be taken within one year of completing the Residency Program.

Once the orthopedic surgeon has completed and passed the ASCS Examinations, they are then able to perform their procedures under the direction of a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner.

Key Facts about the Orthopedic Surgeon:

There are over 21,000 orthopedic surgeons in the United States.

One in four people in the United States will have an orthopedic procedure within their lifetime.

The average orthopedic surgeon earns $188,000 per year.

The orthopedic surgeon is the most sought after by athletes and entertainment personalities because of their quick recovery time and "cage fighter" body appearance due to their muscular frames.

The orthopedic surgeon is also the most overworked because there are not enough of them to take care of all of the people that need their services.

The Orthopedic Surgeon's Path to Becoming a Physician:

Orthopedic surgeons go to medical school and then complete five years of pre-medical education in order to become a physician. After medical school, they then complete their four years of specialized medical education in order to become a physician specializing in orthopedic surgery.

After medical school, orthopedic surgery residency is a five to seven year program in which the physician splits their time between additional medical training and residency at a hospital with an orthopedic surgical facility. Residency programs often have a program director, assistant program directors, and orthopedic surgery fellows who assist in training future surgeons. After a successful residency, the surgeon is ready to take the licensing exams to become a physician specializing in orthopedic surgery. Licensing requirements vary by state, but typically include written and clinical exams. Physicians who have passed all of the licensing exams are then able to practice medicine under the supervision of a Physician's Assistant (PA) or Nurse Practitioner.

Steps to Becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon:

First, you need to go to medical school. After medical school, you will complete five years of pre-medical education known as "medicine." Next, you will go to medical school for four more years. This will result in your earning a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.
After medical school, you will begin specialty training in orthopedics. Specialty training is five to seven years in length. After specialty training is completed, you can choose to complete a three to five year residency program. After residency, you can sit for the licensing examination to be eligible to call yourself an orthopedic surgeon.

That is the list of mostly wrong interesting facts about athletic trainers