University of Utah Athletic Training Program

Happy Why Athletic Training Wednesday! This week we are spotlighting our second-year MAT student Jesse Cruz.

Learn about our alumni Sawyer! ⬇️

Current Job/Setting: Assistant Athletic Trainer - Motor City Cruise / Professional Basketball (Detroit Pistons Organization) 

Why did you choose athletic training as a profession?
“I chose Athletic Training because I wanted a way to help people get back to the activities they love at the highest level they possibly can without pain or fear!”

What made you choose the University of Utah?
“I chose the University of Utah because of the reputation that the university has for excellence in healthcare. You can see that in the faculty and staff of the Athletic Training Program every day.”

Once Piece of Advice for aspiring Athletic Trainers? - -:“Embrace the journey and take wisdom from everything and everywhere you go. You’ll never know how much you can learn from seemingly unrelated things.”
 
What keeps you passionate about athletic training?
“I am passionate about the endless possibilities that we have to leave an impact on people as Athletic Trainers. Our scope allows us to be assets to any healthcare team in any setting and it’s amazing to see all of the great humans and people that ATs impact on the day to day!”

Happy Why Athletic Training Wednesday! This week hear from our first-year MAT student Lily Perkocha.

Interested in the Athletic Training Program at the University of Utah? Wanna hang out with us, learn some skills, and eat some pizza 🍕?

Join us for our upcoming events. RSVP through the link in our bio.

March 17th: Attend for an introduction to the profession and basic athletic training skills.

April 15th: In this session we will review the application process, best practices, FAQs, and other related topics.

Congratulations to our first-year MAT student, Hailey Hultberg, and her team for taking 1st place at the IPE Student Case Competition this past weekend! 🏆

We’re also proud to have our program represented by Program Director Dr. Justin Rigby and first-year MAT student Sierra Chabola, who helped run the event, and Associate Professor Dr. Jessica Tidswell, who served as a judge for the competition. 👏

Kicking off our first Why Athletic Training Wednesday of NATM with first-year student Isaiah Shipp! 🙌 Here’s his story!

Get to Know Dr. Craig Switzler, Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Education ⬇️

Where did you complete your education?

- U of U AT program (UG)
- University of Oregon Master in Human Physiology
- AT Still University, Doctorate of Health Sciences

What classes do you teach?

Clinical classes, AT as a HC profession, Tape & Brace, Prevention, Transition to Practice, Undergrad Intro to AT class

Why do you enjoy teaching?

“Seeing students have that light bulb moment, and go on to do great things.”

What you enjoy most about our program?

“I think the thing that I enjoy most about our program is all the people that make it great, the faculty & staff (go Jess L), the preceptors, and of course the students (of which we didn’t have the program would not exist.) And me, of course (it’s always about me 😎). What makes it stand out - the department that allows us to do these things, those partners that we rely on for support and opportunities, and the university resources that make us great.”

A fun random fact about Craig
“I like pizza 🍕(an unhealthy amount of like)”

Happy National Athletic Training Month! 🎉 Join us all month long as we celebrate the profession, highlight our amazing students, alumni, and faculty, and share plenty of fun along the way.

Our annual Alumni Gathering is happening this June! We can’t wait to reconnect, celebrate, and catch up. Visit the link in our bio to RSVP and view the full agenda.

We had an incredible time volunteering at the RMISA Nordic Ski Championships this weekend!