Colleagues:

I was recently informed by a very good friend that his contract was not
being renewed for the 2007-2008 school year at a small college with an AT
Education Program because he was not "measuring up" in terms of clinical
supervision
and education of students enrolled in the AT Ed Program.

The crux of this particular situation was that the ATC in question chose to
put the clinical care of his athletes ABOVE the clinical instruction of
students assigned to him. That does not mean that he did not instruct them or
work
to make sure that they successfully completed their rotations.

As a long-time critic of many aspects of our current athletic training
education programs, I would really like to hear from those of you out there who
are ACIs who have to deal with similar situations on a regular basis. As an
ATC, is your primary responsibility to provide medical care to student-athletes
or is it to insure that Joe or Jane Athletic Training Student feel fulfilled
and satisfied with their clinical education experience at the end of the
day? It disturbs me enormously that an individual can be fired for not
measuring up as an ACI, yet at the same time have glowing recommendations as a
healthcare provider to his athletes.

I have heard repeatedly, especially from high school based ATC/ACI's, that
the amount of "hand holding" required of them with the students that come to
them is ridiculous and in many cases has led them to either stop working as an
ACI and seriously reduce their involvement. I fear that we are raising a
generation of ATCs who are not capable of thinking independently, making split
second decisions, and being able to deal with all of the situations that they
will face as ATCs because we never ask them practice such skills before they
become certified.

It seems to me that when we begin putting clinical education in front of the
clinical care of student-athletes, someone has their priorities seriously
mixed up and in the end it is the profession as a whole that will suffer as a
result.


Jim Berry, MEd, ATC, SCAT, NREMT
Head Athletic Trainer
Myrtle Beach High School
3302 Robert M. Grissom Parkway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-445-2051 (Office)
843-445-2026 (Fax)
email: MBTrainer@...

"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing."
-Albert Einstein