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University of Lynchburg

/ Graduate Academics / Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) / Program Policies

Program Policies

Communicable Disease Policy

Students in the graduate (and graduate track) Athletic Training Program (ATP) must demonstrate protection against communicable diseases before being allowed to participate in patient care. This includes completion of a comprehensive vaccination/communicable disease record and verification that the athletic training student meets the technical standards of the ATP. The vaccination record will be kept in the athletic training student’s permanent file at the University of Lynchburg Health Center. Students must also complete yearly training in the handling of blood-borne pathogens and infectious agents as specified by the Occupational and Safety Health Administration and documented by the ATP.

The University of Lynchburg ATP wishes to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all students, faculty members, preceptors, and their respective patient/athletes. In addition to prevention, MSAT students can experience communicable diseases (a disease that may be transmitted directly or indirectly from one individual to another, cdc.gov). Exposure to pathogens causing disease and illness occurs in daily life but may increase as a health care provider. Common transmission methods include direct contact with contaminated fluids or indirect contact such as airborne.

Communicable Disease Procedure
In the event an MSAT student contracts a communicable disease that could jeopardize other students, faculty, preceptors, or patient/athletes, the student should:

  1. Seek immediate medical attention for formal evaluation. Also, inform the attending physician or health care provider that you are a student in the MSAT program and discuss if you should be restricted from the interaction at clinical sites or with other students.
  2. The student should have written documentation from the attending physician or health care provider in regards to your ability to continue with classes and clinical education rotation or if any restrictions are required.
  3. The student should contact their respective preceptor or the MSAT department chair immediately following evaluation to discuss the ATP student’s status.
  4. In the event of prolonged illness from communicable disease, the MSAT student should be in contact with the MSAT department chair to appropriately document and remediate the situation.
  5. As long as an MSAT student is deemed to be contagious by a physician, that student will not be allowed to attend clinical rotations. By the student contacting the preceptor or the MSAT department chair promptly, appropriate remediation will be allowed to the student. In the event, there is a prolonged communicable illness and the student cannot finish the required clinical experience hours or required coursework, a grade of “I” (incomplete) will be granted and the student will be allowed to make up the work in the following semester.
  6. The student will not be permitted to return to the clinical experience until he/she has been re-evaluated by a physician or health care provider. A signed release from a medical practitioner must be filled with the MSAT department chair prior to the return to their clinical education rotation.
Examples of Common Communicable Diseases
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Fungal infections
  • Herpes simplex
  • Diphtheria (upper respiratory infection)
  • Influenza
  • Hepatitis
  • Meningococcal infections
  • Mononucleosis
  • Measles
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Streptococcal infection
  • Mumps
  • Herpes zoster (shingles)
  • Varicella (chicken pox)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Viral infections (such as norovirus or COVID-19)

Technical Standards for Admission

The Master of Science in Athletic Training is a rigorous and intense program that places specific requirements and demands on the students enrolled in the program. An objective of this program is to prepare graduates to enter a variety of employment settings and to render care to a wide spectrum of individuals engaged in physical activity. The technical standards set forth by the Athletic Training Department establish the essential qualities considered necessary for students admitted to this program to achieve the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level athletic trainer, as well as meet the expectations of the program’s accrediting agency (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education [CAATE]). All students admitted to the Athletic Training Department must attest that they are able to meet the following abilities and expectations. In the event a student is unable to attest that he/she is able to fulfill these technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, the student will not be admitted into the program.

Compliance with the program’s technical standards does not guarantee a student’s eligibility for the BOC certification exam.

Athletic Training Students Must Possess the Following
  • The mental capacity to assimilate, analyze, synthesize, integrate concepts and problem solve to formulate assessment and therapeutic judgments and to be able to distinguish deviations from the norm.
  • Sufficient postural and neuromuscular control, sensory function, and coordination to perform appropriate physical examinations using accepted techniques, and accurately, safely and efficiently use equipment and materials during the assessment and treatment of patients.
  • The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and colleagues, including individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to establish rapport with patients and communicate judgments and treatment information effectively. Students must be able to understand and speak the English language at a level consistent with competent professional practice.
  • The ability to record physical examination results and treatment plans clearly and accurately.
  • The capacity to maintain composure and continue to function well during periods of high stress.
  • The perseverance, diligence and commitment to complete the athletic training education program as outlined and sequenced.
  • Flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in clinical situations.
  • Affective skills and appropriate demeanor and rapport that relate to professional education and quality patient care.

The purpose of the technical standards is to inform students of realistic expectations of completing the Athletic Training Department. The Athletic Training Department consists of both didactic (classroom) and clinical (hands-on experience) education. The curriculum simulates the physical, intellectual and emotional demands of the profession so that students get a realistic picture of the profession and so that students can be appropriately evaluated on their athletic training knowledge and skill. It is the responsibility of the University of Lynchburg to inform all admitted and prospective students of these expectations. It is also the responsibility of the University of Lynchburg to develop and follow retention policies that are consistent with the demands of the technical standards listed above. It is also the responsibility of the University of Lynchburg to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that students can meet the demands of the Athletic Training Department. It is the student’s responsibility to reveal any special accommodations that are needed in the Athletic Training Curriculum in order for the student to complete all requirements of the Athletic Training Department. All students are then held to the same retention standards.

All requests for accommodations must go through the University of Lynchburg Academic Advising Office. The support services coordinator will review the request for reasonable accommodations with input from the dean of the College of Health Sciences, and the Athletic Training Department chairperson, as needed. The support services coordinator may ask the student to provide appropriate documentation as evidence of disability in making a decision about the reasonableness of a request.

Candidates for selection into the Athletic Training Department will be required to acknowledge that they understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe that, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards.

If a student states he/she can meet the technical standards with accommodation, then the University will determine whether it agrees with the student. This includes a review of whether the accommodations requested are reasonable, taking into account whether an accommodation would jeopardize clinician/patient safety, or the educational process of the student or the institution, including all coursework, clinical experiences and internships deemed essential to graduation.