Do you enjoy sports and physical activity, the human body, solving problems, caring for patients, and working with people?
If so, have you considered pursuing a career in athletic training?
The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program at UW–Madison is a 24-month program that prepares students seeking a health care career in athletic training.
To give you some insight into this program, following is a Q&A with Riley Hertford — a former student-athlete at the University of Southern California who now is a student with the MSAT program.
Where are you from and what drew you to UW–Madison? I am from Portland, Oregon. I was initially interested in UW–Madison as both of my parents attended Wisconsin for undergrad. Outside of my parents’ affiliation, I was drawn to Wisconsin for its academic rigor, vast professional network, and the university being located in Madison — which is very similar to Portland. A big aspect that influenced my decision was my connection with Dr. W (Andrew Winterstein, who directs the Athletic Training program) and his passion and commitment for the program when I came to visit.
Where did you earn your undergraduate degree, and what sport did you play in college? I went to the University of Southern California for my undergraduate degree. I majored in health and human sciences (pre-health track major) and minored in psychology. I played lacrosse for USC as a goalie.
How did you decide to study athletic training, and how long have you been in the program? I came into college with the intention of pursuing a career in nursing. I wanted to pursue a career that worked with patients through their entire injury/illness journey. Like many other individuals who pursued or are currently pursuing a degree in athletic training/physical therapy, I endured numerous injuries in my sophomore year that exposed me to the field and changed my career path. I never considered that my two passions, medicine and sports, could combine and align with my career goals.
Where are you doing your fieldwork this fall? I am currently at Northwestern University for my fall rotation. I am working with the women’s fencing team, as well as cross covering with baseball, softball, and field hockey. This summer I completed two internships: one with Camp Woodward, which is an action sports camp that has skateboarding, scootering, BMXing, and parkour, and the other with the New Orleans Saints.
What has it been like moving from the athlete side of the equation to the health care side? Are there any advantages to being a former student-athlete who is now working toward becoming an AT? Being on the health care side of athletics has actually given me a lot of clarity on how muscle imbalances can cause injuries and how imperative trust is with athletes. Additionally, I have found that I am able to connect better with my patients and push them to their full potential, as I can understand their competitive drive and desire to get back to what they love.
What has been your most meaningful experience with the AT program? My most meaningful experience within the AT program has been completing a summer internship with Camp Woodward. I expressed my concern to my professors about not getting true hands-on emergency care experience and how that could potentially impact me following graduation. I was able to connect with one of my preceptors and my clinical coordinator who helped to facilitate this experience for me. I was able to see a variety of emergency situations where I had to use my clinical skills to assess a patient’s ability to return to sport, the need for EMS, and/or whether clinical evaluation gave indication for the need to obtain imaging. The highlight of this experience was being able to feel my first complete tear of an ACL during a Lachman’s test.
What class or faculty member had the greatest impact on you, and why? Shari (Clark, a teaching faculty member with the program) has had the largest impact on me and my future as an athletic trainer, as she continuously challenges my thinking beyond the standard of education and is extremely patient in reviewing material so that I am able to understand the concepts more concisely. She has also been an amazing resource for me regarding clinical experiences, physical therapy school, and all the “outdoorsy” fun around Wisconsin.
Additionally, Pat Hills-Meyer (an assistant clinical professor) has been extremely beneficial to my growth as a student as he puts up with my consistent desire for experiences that challenge me. Despite Wisconsin already having a big professional network, I have sought out unique experiences that Wisconsin did not already have an affiliation with in order to push myself outside of my comfort zone. With that came a great amount of communication and legal work that he had to carry out, which I am very appreciative of.
What do you enjoy most about being an athletic trainer? My favorite part about being an athletic trainer is the variety during the day, where there is no predictability of what is going to happen.
What has been the most difficult part of your career as an athletic trainer? One of the most difficult parts is watching the athletes you interact with/take care of on a daily basis suffer a significant injury. From my perspective, I can resonate with just how challenging the recovery process is from an injury, but also how being removed from your sport challenges your sense of identity and belonging. We can often become so focused on the physical aspect of injuries on athletes that we forget about the impact it can have mentally and emotionally.
What’s next for you? What are your future plans? I have just submitted my applications to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. I am looking to start in the summer/fall of 2024. Following the DPT program, I hope to return back to collegiate athletics to work as a dual credentialed AT/PT.
Athletic trainers (ATs) are multi-skilled professionals who collaborate with physicians as part of the health care team to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. For those who seek dynamic, exciting, and challenging work within the health care field, athletic training is an incredibly rewarding career with a positive employment outlook. For more information visit the MSAT program’s website.