WSU Athletic Training Program Receives Lengthy Reaccreditation
WESTFIELD — Westfield State University’s (WSU) Athletic Training program has earned the maximum reaccreditation duration after a recent review by the Committee on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education (CAATE). It is common for reaccreditation of three- or five-year periods. The 10-year reaccreditation recently earned by WSU Athletic Training program extends through the 2032 academic year.
WSU has been accredited by CAATE since 2001, and the curriculum has undergone considerable changes due to evolving practices in the field. The reaccreditation process now details compliance in 109 profession-specific standards.
Recent events, such as Buffalo Bill Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field due to cardiac arrest and a severe neck laceration suffered by an Army men’s hockey player, highlight the vital need for athletic trainers in many settings.
The extensive coordination of athletic-training education with other healthcare professions on campus prepares WSU students for interprofessional strategic planning, communication, and implementation in emergency and non-emergency healthcare situations. In addition to their rigorous academic coursework, athletic-training students are required to participate in a variety of graded clinical settings to assure a high level of technical proficiency before their graduation. Additionally, the WSU coursework emphasizes advanced, evidence-based clinical research strategies by undergraduates. This has resulted in WSU’s undergraduate students publishing articles in professional journals and presenting research at national and regional conferences over the last six years.
WSU graduates are working as athletic trainers in high schools, universities, and clinics throughout the region. Alumni are also employed in professional baseball, professional ice hockey, industrial settings, and leading research hospitals. Recent graduates have also furthered their professional knowledge by adding graduate degrees in related fields to extend their impact on healthcare delivery.