Athletic Training Residency Program Curriculum

The Athletic Training Residency Program at Orthopedic + Fracture Specialists has created a curriculum which will allow the athletic training resident to excel in the physician practice setting.

The program will consist of:

• Rotations through the following specialties
  • Sports Medicine
    • Shoulder
    • Knee
    • Hip
  • Foot + Ankle
  • Elbow + Wrist + Hand
  • Total Joints
  • Exposure to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) + Pediatrics
• Rotations with sports medicine physicians and the current staff athletic trainers to learn:
  • Intricacies of a thorough patient history and to communicate those findings effectively
  • How to perform an appropriate and accurate physical examination of various conditions during each specialty rotation
  • How to answer patient questions regarding their condition, their treatment, and their surgery
  • Application and removal of casts and splints
  • Durable Medical Equipment (DME) fitting and education:
    • Crutches
    • Knee braces
    • Slings
    • Foot and ankle orthoses
    • Wrist and hand orthoses
  • Change post-operative dressing, evaluate surgical sites, and remove sutures and staples
  • Assist the physician with minor in-clinic procedures such as joint aspirations and injections
• Rotations with orthopedic surgeons in our ambulatory surgery center learn:
  • Sterile technique, including gowning and gloving
  • Sterile draping of the patient
  • Surgical equipment and implants
  • Understanding of joint arthroscopy
  • Assisting in surgery (OTC certification required)
    • Retraction
    • Preparation of grafts
    • Splint/brace application
• Rotations with a MSK radiologist and in clinic where the resident will learn the ordering and interpretation of the following diagnostic studies:
  • X-ray films
  • MRI/MRI arthrogram
  • CT scan/CT arthrogram
  • EMG
  • Ultrasound

Didactic curriculum:

The athletic training resident will have the following requirements which will help you to further your understanding of conditions, the business of healthcare, and the importance of evidence based medicine:

• 4 short essays understanding of the various aspects of office visits and complexity of billing
• The resident will be required to complete 3 case studies throughout the program to be presented at the end of the year. 1 case study will be submitted for publication or for oral presentation at state/district/national meetings.
• The resident will complete quizzes as assigned to them by the staff athletic trainers or program director, including clinical material, operating room material, and radiology.
• Quarterly formal evaluations will be completed by the resident, program director, and appropriate physicians based on performance and knowledge.
• The resident will be required to present 2 predetermined orthopedic topics to the athletic training staff and 2 predetermined orthopedic topics to the non-medical staff.

Miscellaneous daily responsibilities:

The ideal athletic trainer is an employee of this organization who will aid in ALL areas of clinical operations, including but not limited to the following tasks:

• Cleaning and stocking of patient rooms
• Cleaning and stocking of the cast room
• Handling patient phone calls
• Preparing for clinic in advance by gathering information and ordering appropriate radiographs
• Helping to room patients
• Drawing up injections