Athletic Training Graduates Achieve 100 Percent Pass Rate

One hundred percent of Colby-Sawyer’s 2018 athletic training graduates who sat for the Board of Certification passed on their first attempt. By comparison, the national first-time pass average in 2016-2017 was 83.6 percent.

All three recent graduates are employed in their area of study. Amanda Matuszek ’18 is an assistant athletic trainer at Community College of Rhode Island; Bobby Madden ’18 is a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of South Carolina; and Evyn Nolette ’18 is an assistant athletic trainer at Bridgton Academy.

“As students, this cohort took advantage of the opportunities created by our dedicated faculty, staff and clinical preceptors,” said Professor Jean Eckrich, Ph.D., chair of the Exercise and Sport Sciences Department. “In addition to their classroom work, each completed a minimum of 800 hours in various sport and clinical environments to gain necessary practical skills, presented at a regional conference and participated in at least one research project that was funded in part by the New Hampshire IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.”

Athletic trainers are health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. To become a board certified athletic trainer, candidates must graduate with a degree in athletic training from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and successfully pass the Board of Certification (BOC) exam.

“We are proud of our graduates and feel their performances on the exam reflect the support received from their faculty and clinical preceptors at Colby-Sawyer,” said Assistant Professor and Director of Colby-Sawyer’s Athletic Training Education Program Theodore “T. J.” Smith, M.S. “They worked diligently to prepare for their BOC exams after four years of dedication to the major and the profession of athletic training.”

The athletic training major at Colby-Sawyer focuses on the prevention, recognition, management and rehabilitation of injuries for the physically active. The program supplements students' academic preparation with clinical experiences, preparing them for careers in college and school athletics, professional sports, hospitals and clinics and corporate or industrial settings. The program also prepares students for graduate studies in athletic training, physical therapy and other health care fields.