Sports Medicine
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What is Sports Medicine? Sports medicine or sport medicine is an interdisciplinary subspecialty of medicine which deals with the treatment and preventive care of athletes, both amateur and professional. The team includes specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, coaches, other personnel, and, of course, the athlete. What is an ATC? (Certified Athletic Trainer)
>>Definition The Certified Athletic Trainer is highly educated and skilled professional specializing in athletic health care. In cooperation with physicians and other allied health personnel, the athletic trainer functions as an integral member of the athletic health care team in secondary schools, colleges and universities, sports medicine clinics, professional sports programs and other athletic health care settings.
Certified athletic trainers have, at minimum, a bachelor's degree, usually in athletic training, health, physical education or exercise science. In addition, athletic trainers study human anatomy, human psychology/counseling. Certified athletic trainers also participate in extensive clinical affiliations with athletic teams under appropriate supervision.
The practice of athletic trainer services affects the public health, safety, and welfare. Licensure of the practice of athletic trainer services is necessary to ensure minimum standards of competency and to provide the public with safe athletic trainer services. It is the purpose of this Article to provide for the regulation of persons offering athletic trainer services. An Athletic Trainer is a person who, under a written protocol with a physician licensed under Article 1 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes and filed with the North Carolina Medical Board, carries out the practice of care, prevention, and rehabilitation of injuries incurred by athletes, and who, in carrying out these functions, may use physical modalities, including heat, light, sound, cold, electricity, or mechanical devices related to rehabilitation and treatment. A committee composed of two members of the North Carolina Medical Board and two members of the North Carolina Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners shall jointly define by rule the content, format, and minimum requirements for the written protocol required by this subdivision. The members shall be selected by their respective boards. The decision of this committee shall be binding on both Boards unless changed by mutual agreement of both Boards.
Certified athletic trainers have fulfilled the requirements for certification established by the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification, Inc. (NATABOC). The certification examination administered by NATABOC consists of a written portion with multiple choice questions; an oral/practical section that evaluates the skill components of the domains within athletic training; and a written simulation test, consisting of athletic training related situations designed to approximate real-life decision making. This last portion of the test evaluates athletic trainers' ability to resolve cases similar to those they might encounter in actual practice. The examination covers a variety of topics within the five practice domains of athletic training: * Prevention of athletic injuries * Recognition, evaluation and immediate care of athletic injuries * Rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries * Health care administration * Professional development and responsibility Once athletic trainers pass the certification examination proving skills and knowledge within each of the five domains, they use the designation "ATC."  |
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Where do ATC's Practice? |
