Athletic Training program accreditation reaffirmed
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The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs has reaffirmed the accreditation of Lipscomb University's athletic training education program.
The CAAHEP reaffirmed the accreditation, first awarded in 1997, with no restrictions cited, said Dr. Kent Johnson, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at Lipscomb.
Accreditation is important because it demonstrates that the quality of a program meets or exceeds nationally recognized standards.
However, CAAHEP accreditation will grow even more important in January because of a new rule requiring students to graduate from an accredited program before they will be permitted to take the national certification exam and state licensure exam, Johnson said.
"The program has been a blessing to the Kinesiology Department at Lipscomb," Johnson said. "Because of our relationship with Baptist Sports Medicine and the outstanding faculty we have teaching in the program, we feel it is one of the best opportunities in the southeast for students interested in a career in athletic training."
The number of certified athletic trainers has grown significantly in recent years as the profession has expanded from the playing field into industry fitness programs and into the larger medical community, said Dr. David Adams, program director.
In 1950, there were 2,000 certified athletic trainers in the nation. Today there are more than 30,000, he said.
For several years, Lipscomb was the only university in Tennessee offering an undergraduate program in athletic training. Today there are four accredited undergraduate programs in the state, according to the CAAHEP website.
For more information about athletic training studies at Lipscomb University, contact Teresa Diamond at 615.279.6073 or e-mail teresa.diamond [at] lipscomb.edu.