Getting out of my ATC program

[futureDPT2B]

Hi everyone,
This question/concern is directed toward people who are both ATC/DPT
I am double majoring in athletic training and exercise physiology at my university. I am currently in my sophomore year(spring semester), and am currently in my first semester of clinical rotations (min. 200 hours). I have not been enjoying the program so far, and I have realized that the program I am in does not have additional courses that other accredited programs around us have(such as additional classes/labs on assessment, clinical anatomy, palpation). In most of the "core" classes(assessment classes, therapeutic exercises, etc.) the professor just covers the text(which I can do on my own) and leaves us with basically zero time to get hands on. The seniors who are getting ready to graduate mentioned to me that the program does a bad job at making sure students are efficient in their clinical skills(palpation, assessment, etc). The student have to teach themselves (no labs/classes like the schools around us). The GAs and other athletic trainers are not kind either, and do not care about teaching us anything(even heard one of them say it).
I love what I'm learning but I could self teach myself without having to do all these long clinical hours.

I am giving myself 2 options:
1. Transfer to one of the other schools not too far from me that has a solid program.
Or
2. Change my major to exercise science, be able to get a job(working as a personal trainer again), and I plan to attend as many seminars, certifications, and internships with some of the best in the Strength and condition(which I love) and rehabilitation/PT field as I can.

I keep thinking that if I leave athletic training I won't be as well prepared entering a DPT program; even though therapeutic exercise and assessment of the core body are the only classes I have not taken that relate to DPT school. I also keep thinking that I will not have certain knowledge regarding clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, rehabilitation and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions that an athletic trainer would have if I leave the program (I am not as concerned about the emergency care/first responder aspect) .
Is there any knowledge that I would gain in the ATC program (outside of emergency care of life threataing injuries) that I would not gain in my DPT program? OR, will I know/learn more in my DPT program about the categories mentioned?
I am also told that I will be able to get a job much easier if I have the ATC/DPT. In the future(after working for someone for a period of time) I would like to open my own dual practice/strength and conditioning facility for general and active populations.
Thank for taking the time to read this, I value and appreciate your feedback.

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[The_Trainer]

So I know the frustration that you are facing.. an ATC program is no joke at all, and maintaining clinical hours DURING a full class-load is a lot on one plate.

That being said, I can offer you my experience: Im currently a certified athletic trainer, and a certified personal trainer. I went to a good program which taught me a lot, and I would never trade it for another major. In addition, being both a personal trainer and ATC I can say there there is no way that any personal training workshops and certification can replace my knowledge and experience as an athletic trainer.

As far as prepping for PT school: your fear of not being as ready for PT school if your not an ATC should not be a deciding factor. Majority of people entering a DPT program are not ATCs and have never touched a patient outside of an aide setting, so you wouldn't be at a disadvantage at all. What I can say from my experience (im currently applying to DPT programs): 1) I know being an ATC and having two years of clinical work experience was a huge factor for getting into schools. Where as i've heard many first year PT student say they were nervous and worried for their first clinical experience or patient experience, I know I'm solid. Through school I accumulated around 2,000 hours of patient experience and through work thousands more, and that was majority of questions I was asked on my interview.

2) DPTs are not ATCs, and ATCs are not DPTs. They are separate professions. Any PT that tells you they can do what an ATC does is lying. Any ATC that tells you they know what a PT does is lying. ATCs specialize in active populations. Our scope of practice does not really reach beyond that. Give me a 25 year old athlete post ACL reconstruction and I know I can rehab them just as effectively as any PT would. Give me a 65 year old with COPD coming off a stroke and I'm useless. If your goal is to work with active populations, ATC would certainly help you get your foot in the door and start gaining experience quicker. But also realize: Ive met ATCs who went into PT school sports med and ortho driven, and fell in love with neuro and changed their minds.. that part of why you go on clinical!

3)Do what makes you happy. Sounds like your pretty miserable at your program (and the people around you are too). If you can find an ATC program that works better for you and allows you to be happier and still successful that might be a better step. Last thing you want is to go into a 3 year DPT program already burnt out. A fair warning- ATCs are not usually as warm and fuzzy as PTs. ATCs are typically overworked and underpaid, so most are pretty upset with having to teach or mentor on top of it, so don't take it personally.

Hope this helps, feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions that I can help you with.

 

[truthseeker]

I echo the response of The Trainer. I am a PT/ATC and it is a great combination. Yes there are things that you get in AT school that you don't in PT school. The ATC behind your name makes you more marketable and opens some doors that DPT alone will not. Exercise science seems to me to be sort of a dead end major, like philosphy or something. Your program sounds like it sorta sucks. I would transfer to another school and go through their AT program.

One thing about the combination is that the AT training gets your mindset to sports medicine. You will use that mentality for all of your patients going forward, even the one with the stroke and COPD, the goals are just different. Sports med is a mindset, not a skill set. its about getting someone back to what they want to do as fast as possible whether it is playing volleyball after an ACL tear or ankle sprain or the plumber with a rotator cuff tear.

 

[futureDPT2B]

So I know the frustration that you are facing.. an ATC program is no joke at all, and maintaining clinical hours DURING a full class-load is a lot on one plate.

That being said, I can offer you my experience: Im currently a certified athletic trainer, and a certified personal trainer. I went to a good program which taught me a lot, and I would never trade it for another major. In addition, being both a personal trainer and ATC I can say there there is no way that any personal training workshops and certification can replace my knowledge and experience as an athletic trainer.

As far as prepping for PT school: your fear of not being as ready for PT school if your not an ATC should not be a deciding factor. Majority of people entering a DPT program are not ATCs and have never touched a patient outside of an aide setting, so you wouldn't be at a disadvantage at all. What I can say from my experience (im currently applying to DPT programs): 1) I know being an ATC and having two years of clinical work experience was a huge factor for getting into schools. Where as i've heard many first year PT student say they were nervous and worried for their first clinical experience or patient experience, I know I'm solid. Through school I accumulated around 2,000 hours of patient experience and through work thousands more, and that was majority of questions I was asked on my interview.

2) DPTs are not ATCs, and ATCs are not DPTs. They are separate professions. Any PT that tells you they can do what an ATC does is lying. Any ATC that tells you they know what a PT does is lying. ATCs specialize in active populations. Our scope of practice does not really reach beyond that. Give me a 25 year old athlete post ACL reconstruction and I know I can rehab them just as effectively as any PT would. Give me a 65 year old with COPD coming off a stroke and I'm useless. If your goal is to work with active populations, ATC would certainly help you get your foot in the door and start gaining experience quicker. But also realize: Ive met ATCs who went into PT school sports med and ortho driven, and fell in love with neuro and changed their minds.. that part of why you go on clinical!

3)Do what makes you happy. Sounds like your pretty miserable at your program (and the people around you are too). If you can find an ATC program that works better for you and allows you to be happier and still successful that might be a better step. Last thing you want is to go into a 3 year DPT program already burnt out. A fair warning- ATCs are not usually as warm and fuzzy as PTs. ATCs are typically overworked and underpaid, so most are pretty upset with having to teach or mentor on top of it, so don't take it personally.

Hope this helps, feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions that I can help you with.

I echo the response of The Trainer. I am a PT/ATC and it is a great combination. Yes there are things that you get in AT school that you don't in PT school. The ATC behind your name makes you more marketable and opens some doors that DPT alone will not. Exercise science seems to me to be sort of a dead end major, like philosphy or something. Your program sounds like it sorta sucks. I would transfer to another school and go through their AT program.

One thing about the combination is that the AT training gets your mindset to sports medicine. You will use that mentality for all of your patients going forward, even the one with the stroke and COPD, the goals are just different. Sports med is a mindset, not a skill set. its about getting someone back to what they want to do as fast as possible whether it is playing volleyball after an ACL tear or ankle sprain or the plumber with a rotator cuff tear.

Thanks for your info guys. I guess the biggest concern now I'm having is if I change to just exercise science that I will drastically decrease my change of getting accepted into a good program; whereas if I was to finish with ATC/ex. science dual major I would have increased chances. I am planning on having around a 3.4-3.6 GPA when I graduate and about the same for my pre-req.(maybe a little higher). Do you guys think the dual major(exercise science/ATC) vs. just the exercise science degree will effect my odds of getting into certain programs?

 

[DesertPT]

Do you guys think the dual major(exercise science/ATC) vs. just the exercise science degree will effect my odds of getting into certain programs?

Perhaps slightly. The ATC is probably worth more than the ex sci degree. In the end though it is not going to drastically alter your odds. If you're going to become an ATC strictly to beef up your app for a DPT program, that is not even close to enough bang for your buck for it to be worth it. But if you want to be an ATC regardless, then by all means. Don't bank on it to make up for any weaknesses in you app, but it certainly won't hurt. I imagine it will score you a few brownie points at some schools.

 

[futureDPT2B]

Perhaps slightly. The ATC is probably worth more than the ex sci degree. In the end though it is not going to drastically alter your odds. If you're going to become an ATC strictly to beef up your app for a DPT program, that is not even close to enough bang for your buck for it to be worth it. But if you want to be an ATC regardless, then by all means. Don't bank on it to make up for any weaknesses in you app, but it certainly won't hurt. I imagine it will score you a few brownie points at some schools.

Good point and thanks. Yea I am realizing that my program just stinks and my preceptor sucks, and I would rather just learn what I have to learn by reading the book myself and then go onto DPT school. So the odds are pretty good I will just change to exercise physiology for the fall semester and graduate early, and ill be allowed to work in Strength and conditioning in the meantime(what I really love). There is one thought that has me holding onto the thought of ATC; its that thought that I won't know aspects of the rehab/ information regarding dysfunction assessment/and treatment that an ATC would know. Would you say this is accurate or am I just thinking way to much into it? After all I don't plan on being an ATC I just wanted to do it because I thought it would prepare me for DPT school, and I would know specific things about movement/musculoskeletal dysfunction regarding assessment/ treatment/ rehab that only an ATC will know. I would expect DPTs to know everything and more than an ATC would regarding the topics I just mentioned. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks again!

 

[starrsgirl]

For what it's worth, I am a first year student and am VERY impressed with my fellow ATC students. Classes are very easy for them, lol. They breeze through the practicals too as they have already done all these tests we are learning. They are also very comfortable working on a patient as an ATC. I feel that exercise physiology is more hands off (except those who actually worked as a personal trainer...and even then, you don't manipulate someone's limbs quite like an ATC does). I can't speak for the rest of our DPT time, but so far it seems that their time was NOT wasted by doing an ATC then going into a DPT program. Their anatomy knowledge was also fantastic. I'm sure this depends on the undergrad program, but my ATC classmates were phenomenal in a very rigorous anatomy course first semester. (To answer your question more specifically, so far in my first year classes, I haven't seen any exercise science carryover. Maybe this will change when we get to cardio pulmonary classes, but haven't seen any huge benefits to those majors yet).

 

[DesertPT]

I have also heard on a number of occasions that athletic training is really the only major that makes PT school significantly easier.

If your career goal is to be a dual ATC/DPT then I think that is a great goal and there are lots of advantages to it as described in posts above. Its an awesome combination if you want to really get into serious sports rehab. However I still stand by my statement that if your only reason for doing the ATC is to beef up your app for PT school, and your actual desire is to work in physical therapy, then the ATC is more trouble and expense than it's worth.

You will learn what you need to learn to be a good PT in PT school, regardless of your previous major. You will learn what you need to learn to be an athletic trainer in an AT program. Yes, there is a lot of overlap between the two fields. But physical therapy and athletic training are different disciplines and you need to decide if you want to do one or the other or if you want to do some combination of both. I think your decision should be based on the pros and cons of each option and what your actual career goals are, rather than just focusing on getting into PT school.

If you want to learn how to get into PT school, start reading the pre-PT forum. There have also been a number of threads regarding AT that have been interesting, I'm sure you could find them with a search.