The Institutional and Professional Benefits of Housing Athletic Training Education Programs in Schools of Health Professions

Accredited Athletic Training Education programs (ATEPs) are sponsored by over 350 universities and are housed in a variety of academic units ranging from schools of education to schools of health professions. There are advantages to all stakeholders housing ATEPs in schools of health professions. Formed in the 1960s, many of the early ATEPs were housed in schools of education, when most program faculty and staff were employed by athletics departments and the profession had a distinct curricular connection to coaching. Athletic training has since evolved to a health care profession, and its educational processes need to reflect this model. By housing ATEPs in units that educate other health care providers, many efficiencies and collaborative opportunities are introduced with a resulting overall improvement in the quality of the professional education of athletic trainers. The authors, directors of ATEPs housed in schools of health professions, provide examples of these benefits, which include opportunities for participation in interprofessional initiatives; opportunities for faculty development and collaborative teaching among like-minded faculty; improved mechanisms for scholarship, support and funding mechanisms; and economies of scale in terms of program delivery requirements.