Congratulations on obtaining licensure in Michigan! However, the state
Board that oversees athletic training is who will decide what is
"acceptable" or not. Do not fall into the trap of letting another
healthcare provider dictate what you can or cannot do. Only the state
practice act or your profession can do that. The practice act dictates your
abilities, restrictions, and supervision (generally a physician).

Nearly all healthcare providers are educated with a different
viewpoint/training as we are. OTs, EMTs, RNs, SLPs, LMT, PA-Cs are all
educated with their respective content areas and allowed to use what they
are taught to the extent the practice act allows. Many of these disciplines
learn their respective content areas with less that a doctorate, yet are
unhindered in their daily practice. (Think about RN's and PA's--both
practice with a BS degree. EMT's may often have no college degree. Many
AT's have a Master's). The practice act is based on proven
competence--usually through an exam--NOT on the degree offered to learn
those competencies.

Spend your time educating legislators about your skill set and less time in
turf battles with other professions. It will show that you take "the higher
ground" in the argument and they will be reduced to complaining while you
are seeking the best for the patients of your state.

Maybe the education process should be updated; maybe not. However, many
states (including my home state of Georgia) feel the current educational
system is adequate to allow us to practice and get reimbursed for what we
do! Was it easy? No. Is there overlap with what we and other professions
do at times? Yes. Yet the state allows us to practice in a way to fully
utilize what we were taught in our degree programs.

In short, do not get caught up in the battle of one-upping the competition.
Provide a fair service for the people you treat. Prove outcomes (freely
available data from NATA, I believe). Others may be able to prove they "do
just as well" at the job, but we are not lobbying for their cause. We are
seeking recognition of what we do. Insurance companies want to know that
what you do works, and that it works in a cost-effective manner. Other
healthcare providers, including those adversarial to athletic training,
fight these same battles for reimbursement. Do not think that everything
works perfectly for them either. From the physicians down, we must all
prove that what we do works in a cost-effective manner or we will not be
reimbursed for our services.

I hope this helps.

Paul Higgs MEd, ATC, LAT
President-elect, Georgia Athletic Trainers Association

Head Athletic Trainer
Georgia College & State University
Campus Box 65--Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478)445-1787
paul.higgs@...

GC&SU Athletic Training Online: www.betterbobcats.com

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Never underestimate yourself. The experts built the Titanic and Noah was an
amateur.