Trinity High School has an advanced opportunity to offer a sports medicine program for medically-interested students. The program provides students with a strong foundation in human anatomy and physiology. This gives students a sound understanding of human movement, how the body responds to injury and exercise, an understanding of nutrition and a foundation of medical terminology.
When students begin the program, the instruction concentrates on the anatomy of the body and medical terminology. They also discuss career options and outlooks, learn how to take vitals and become CPR certified. Students in year two learn primarily injury recognition and evaluation. They get a more in-depth look at anatomy and how it functions. Year three includes the stages of rehabilitation and nutrition. In year four, the final year of the program, students are given the opportunity to become certified as a personal trainer, which gives them the ability to start making money right away in the workforce.
Samantha Stainbrook, a junior in the program, said, “Knowing that I will be prepared in college inspires me to be in the sports medicine program. I will have the skills I need for my future thanks to Dr. Killen and Mr. Porterfield.”
Students that participate in the sports medicine program can prepare themselves for the following careers: athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, physician, physician assistant, personal training and nutritionist, among others.
Mr. Porterfield, one of the teachers in the program, said, “If I can help prepare future medical providers to be competent, well-rounded professionals, then I feel like I am doing my part. It is very reassuring when you have other professionals tell you that your high school students are better prepared than some college students to work in a physical therapy clinic.”
The program is structured off of the task grid created by the PA Department of Education, which contains over 70 different tasks that students must be able to complete and perform. This is done through traditional testing methods but also with hands-on practical exams where students can show that they know how to perform a skill. The Trinity students in the program must complete 71 hours of observation per year with a medical professional during 9th, 10th and 11th grade. The seniors are asked to complete 160 hours of internship time that year to prepare them for a medical profession. Observation hours are extremely important and help students begin networking. Some of the current Trinity students in the program have been offered college recommendations and even job offers from their internship sites. Many colleges and universities allow college credits to be completed through the program through articulation agreements.
When asked why he thinks the program stands out among others, Porterfield comments, “The numbers speak for themselves. We have over 65 students in our program, with over 100 students having taken at least one sports medicine class in the school. We have great students! They work hard. They are eager to learn, and they have a pretty good idea of what they want to do with their lives.”
