The athletic training department at Otterbein University has been resilient in its comeback from COVID-19, but has undergone changes in attempts to accommodate students.
Athletic training students have acknowledged the efforts, but still feel the weight of COVID-19-related stressors. Sydney Ranzau, senior athletic training student, gave her thoughts on the program’s changes and accommodations.
Ranzau spoke on the current attempts to accommodate for hours missed in field education.
“Since all sports have started back, we are having to cover different sports depending on what time we are free from the sports we were assigned to,” Ranzau said. “Recently they added Children’s Hospital as a rotation, which a few of us have started and finished already. They give out many hours, which helps us achieve our hours goal.”
This additional rotation is proving to be helpful, but is not erasing the stressors from COVID-19. “I feel like we are behind,” Ranzau said.
“Since most of us like to learn hands on and we lost the spring semester last year, we did not learn as much as we potentially could have," Ranzau said. "But I know some students do feel ready and are planning on taking the BOC (Board of Certification) in the earlier months it is available.”
“This year is the first year of AT being a Master's program, so the freshman will be going to school for 5 years. I think they will be learning the 'basics of AT' for the first two years, then they will start their rotations the third year and do three years of them, with two each year,” Ranzau said.
Overall, the athletic training program is going through some significant challenges and changes during this school year.
