Sports & Exercise Health Care
One of the fastest-growing sectors of the health care field is sports medicine, a general term covering a wide variety of career tracks. If you have a passion for sports, exercise and health, you can pursue professional opportunities in exercise physiology, injury care and management, biomechanics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies and much more.
The Sports & Exercise Health Care program prepares you to apply research and clinical practice to optimize the health and athletic performance of people from all walks of life. You’ll learn about human anatomy and physiology, with a focus on human motion, injury recognition, evaluation, care and rehabilitation techniques. You’ll also have many opportunities to gain clinical experience in the field and make connections in a variety of sports medicine-related sectors.
Our small classes will ensure you receive personal attention as you study exercise principles, kinesiology, athletic taping and bracing, and therapeutic rehabilitation. Our program has a dedicated classroom right in the Koessler Athletic Center for combined classroom and clinical learning. Sports & Exercise Health Care students conduct research in collaboration with faculty-led studies, co-author studies as well as present at local, state and national research forums. Plus, our curriculum allows you to take the prerequisites to apply to professional programs in athletic training, physical therapy, physician assistant, chiropractic school and other health care professions.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Provides an interdisciplinary approach between researchers, allied health care clinicians, and students
- Engage in a variety of practical topics, such as emergency care, injury assessment and therapeutic rehabilitation and research techniques
- Participate in over 500 hours of valuable clinical experience in the field, with placements that include the LECOM HarborCenter, Sisters of Charity Hospital, UB Orthopedics and an extensive network of Western New York health care providers and local colleges and high school sports medicine facilities.
- Learn hands-on through a 240- hour internship in a clinical setting of your choice
- Take prerequisite courses which can be used to apply to a variety of health-related graduate programs including physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist, athletic training and other medical careers
