Description

The Bates Sports Medicine Department and St. Mary's Orthopedics have designed an eleven- month Transition to Practice program to offer newly credentialed athletic training professionals an opportunity to broaden and enhance their clinical and professional skills as they continue to develop their practice. 

Requirements

The Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) supports intercollegiate athletics and is responsible for the care and wellbeing of student-athletes through the provision of athletic training services including testing, evaluation, assignment of training regimens, and treatment of injuries, rehabilitation and medical referrals.  The ATC works directly with student-athletes to provide care, education, counseling, evaluation, treatment and rehab of athletic injuries and illnesses both on campus and at game venues. The ATC must follow the athletic philosophy consistent with that of the Bates Athletic Department, NESCAC and NCAA.  The Office of Athletic Performance celebrates and honors difference, engages students of all backgrounds and strives to ensure accessible services for all student-athletes.

Job Duties:

Prevention of Athletic Injuries:  

• Works collaboratively with Bates Health Services to review pre-participation sport physicals to screen for orthopedic problems or issues that could/may affect the student–athletes safe participation.  
• Provides injury prevention measures such as appliances, braces and devices for control of joint motion and limb protections.
• Ensures proper equipment use and fitting such as helmets, shoulder pads, braces, mouth pieces. The use of tape or wraps. 
• May assist in the selection and fitting of protective equipment.

Evaluation:

• Evaluates athletic injuries through a subjective history, objective findings through observation, palpation, special tests, manual muscle testing and range of motion tests. 
• Formulates assessments and executes plans of action that best aid/fit student–athletes’ health needs and determines student-athletes’ safe return to sport participation. 
• Collaborates with the team physician to utilize concussion assessment tool(s) in determining the safe return of a concussed student-athlete. 

Treatment/Rehabilitation:

• Uses discretion in designing and developing treatment or reconditioning/rehab plans of athletic injuries.
• Uses treatment modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercise.
• Recognizes and manipulates conditions which require special taping, bracing, padding, either preventative or rehabilitative.
• Refers student-athletes to external medical care based on student-athletes’ needs following the evaluation and assessment of the ATC.
• Provides regular injury reports and reports status and progress of injured athletes to team physician and coaches.

Documentation:

• Complies with policies and rules of Bates Athletics, NESCAC and the NCAA related to medical care for student-athletes.
• Maintains confidential documentation and record keeping of injury reports and progress notes on all active student-athletes.  Ensures that each file is up-to-date to facilitate insurance billing and payments and for any future medical or legal claims.
• Adheres to HIPPA standards in protecting student-athletes’ medical privacy.

Other:

• Serves as a primary coordinator of care and communication for student-athletes between St. Mary's Orthopedics and Bates Health Services.
• Attends various sport practices and competitions (home and away).
• Provides water for hydration during practices and games.
• Cooperates and collaborates with sports medicine staff, Bates Health Services, nutrition staff, academic support services, student-athletes to ensure proper communication of student-athlete needs or concerns.
• Coordinates and schedules appointments with physicians and/or other medical professionals/disciplines for student-athletes. 
• Arranges transportation as needed for injured athletes.
• Assists with clean up and maintenance of athletic training room(s), weight room equipment and related facilities to help prevent disease transmission and to ensure that equipment works properly.
• Assists in identifying and purchasing equipment and supplies for the Office of Athletic Performance. 
• Understands and models Department of Athletics philosophy and goals as set forth by the Director of Athletics and the Associate Director of Athletics - Performance and Sports Medicine.