Intern Athletic Trainer Positions are Insulting and Detrimental to Our Profession

3/16/2015

Editors' Note: This blog post was written by one of our Post-Professional Students concerned about the direction and use of 'internships' in Athletic Training. Due to the current climate and debate surrounding internships, the student has requested to remain anonymous. However, we (Kenneth Games and Lindsey Eberman) as the editors of the AT4AT blog support the student's voice that internships, particularly internships which are low paying and essentially termed employment, are detrimental to the profession of Athletic Training.

The advertisement of Intern Athletic Trainer positions is growing increasingly more frequent on the NATA’s career center and other employment search engines. Both large and small size universities are advertising the opportunity for one or more lucky individuals to work for them in the capacity of an ‘intern athletic trainer’. This excellent opportunity generally means that the selected individual (who is commonly a new graduate with a ‘preferred master’s degree’ and ‘1-2 years of professional experience’) is able to perform the tasks of a full-time collegiate athletic trainer with ‘minimal supervision’ or ‘full autonomy’, for a salary range between $7000 and $18000. Some of these institutions offer an hourly wage rate as spectacular as $8.05/hr (minimum wage). So if you would like to get in on some of these amazing employment opportunities I would recommend you checkout the NATA Career Center website.

The most recent NATA salary survey (2014) data1 tells us that ‘The average entry-level salary for ATs increased from $34,623 to $38,214’ from 2011 to 20141. The average salary in 2014 for an athletic trainer with 1-5 years of experience is $41,5681. The average salary for an athletic trainer with a master’s degree in 2014 was $54,6601. Do we really think it is acceptable for these institutions to offer employment for such little compensation? Some of the institutions listed below do offer other additional incentives such health care plans or provide on-campus housing. However, larger institutions offer these positions with the motive that working for their prestigious athletic department and the associated experience alone is compensation enough that they only need to provide an insufficient and insulting stipend.

I do not think this is appropriate and I believe that it is detrimental to our profession. As a profession we are currently campaigning for increased salaries in order to better align ourselves with other healthcare professions. This growing trend of intern athletic trainer positions is counter-productive as we attempt to advocate for fair reimbursement. My suggestion to the institutions that are advertising these positions is; If you want someone to perform the tasks of a full-time certified athletic trainer, then hire a FULL TIME ATHLETIC TRAINER. Advocate for our profession within your institution. If you are in need of the services of a full-time athletic trainer then present and justify this to your department/ institution, so that they can provide the money to fund one sufficiently.

Below is an example of what we believe is an unacceptable job description expected of an intern athletic trainer. We have removed the name of the institution so that it may remain anonymous. It is not our goal to make an example of specific institutions but to make an example of the trend of ‘internship’ positions as a whole.

______ University Sports Medicine seeks a Certified Intern Athletic Trainer to provide comprehensive health care for student-athletes in its intercollegiate athletic programs. The position is responsible to adhere to the university mission and ensure that policies and procedures are followed in the ______ University Sports Medicine Center. The Certified Intern Athletic Trainer must have a Bachelors degree in athletic training and have taken the NATABOC exam by April 11, 2015 to be considered for this position. The candidate ultimately must be certified by July 11, 2015. Candidates must also be eligible for licensure at time of application and be licensed prior to start date. This position will assist in providing coverage for Football year round with full travel responsibilities as well as being the primary athletic trainer for a combination of 1-2 of the following sports with limited to no travel depending on the sport: M/W Tennis, M/W Golf, M/W Track and Women's Swimming. Other duties include assisting in coverage of the ______ University Sports Medicine Center, and other home events as assigned by the Director of Sports Medicine. This position will pay a stipend of $8000 over 10 months from August 2015 through May 2016.

Whether you agree or disagree to any degree with the opinions presented above, please let us know how you feel about this issue by commenting below.

48 Comments

Authors

We are graduate students in the Indiana State University Post-Professional Athletic Training Education Program.

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Zach

3/16/2015 03:00:06 am

Huge ethical issues. This is BY LAW what an internship is:
1. The internship even though includes operation of the employees facilities is similar to that which would be given in an educational environment.
2. Theinternshipisforthebenefitoftheintern.
3. Theinterndoesnotdisplacearegularemployee,butworksunderthe
close supervision of existing staff.
4. Theemployerthatprovidesthetrainingderivesnoimmediateadvantage
from the activities of the intern and, on occasion, its operations may be
impeded.
5. Theinternisnotnecessarilyentitledtoajobattheconclusionofthe
internship.
6. Theemployerandtheinternunderstandthattheinternisnotentitledto
wages for the time spent in the internship.

AND IF ANY ONE OF THESE ARE NOT MET, you fail to comply with the fair labor and standards act. DO RIGHT!!!

Seth

3/16/2015 03:49:10 am

Agree completely and thank you for writing this blog post. It needs to be drilled into our professions heads...Students, recent graduates and NATA leadership who seem to turn a blind eye to this!

There is one reason and one reason only whey these intern positions are being created: To avoid paying for a Full Time AT. Well guess what, if nobody takes it, then they will have to hire a Full time AT or go understaffed...Their choice!

The person who takes this position (and yes, there will be somebody who takes it) needs to understand this is not going to help them or the profession in the future. It completely devalues the profession that someone will work what is essentially a Full Time job for somebody with a degree and certification as difficult to attain as an Athletic Trainer that they work for less than minimum wage under this false pretense of an "intern".

What do you think will occur after this internship? Do you think it will open doors for you afterwards that were previously closed? Trust me, as somebody who has been in this profession for 17 years, IT WILL NOT. The jobs are out there. Find them. If somebody doesn't want you because you believe in yourself and your abilities, fine, it's there loss. Move on to the next opening. Don't settle!

Just because somebody loves their job (like all AT's do), and will take a position for the love of the job, this doesn't give the employers the right to take advantage of them.

Vince

3/16/2015 07:58:21 am

In regards to Seth's comment:
"What do you think will occur after this internship? Do you think it will open doors for you afterwards that were previously closed? Trust me, as somebody who has been in this profession for 17 years, IT WILL NOT. "

That is one of the most idiotic statements I have ever heard. Any extra experience and athletic trainer can gain at a new site opens numerous doors that were not there before.

I personally worked an football internship for 2 years at a large SEC school after grad school. I met hundreds of new people, saw and experience countless things I had never seen before. Yes the pay was terrible (18k/year, no benefits) but I knew this was the work that needed to get done in the short term to reach my end goal.

So what happened after my internship was over? They promoted me to a full time assistant with an SEC football team. I guess you could say my internship opened more than a few doors for me.

Nico

3/16/2015 08:28:24 am

I don't think we should be attacking people with words just based on their experiences. This is a honest discussion forum.
As an internship is defined, an intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship. They didn't have to offer you a job, but they did which is good for you. But That doesn't always happen

Jackson

3/16/2015 08:55:15 am

Yeah but you are a guy. Doubt this happens for females.

Connor

3/16/2015 04:05:02 am

I do agree that these internships are not handled well and the pay can be, for lack of a better word, terrible. I am myself, an intern. I get treated as a full-time staff member however not paid like one. It does frustrate me to some degree but I understand. I will also say that I get CEUs, Memberships, clothes, etc paid for. So possibly mine is a bit better than the rest. It is something that is controlled by the people way more high up than myself. I chose an internship because I wanted to work college athletics and was not provided that opportunity in grad school and most college jobs say "collegiate experience preferred/required". I am happy to say my internship will pay off as I will be given a full-time position starting this summer. It was something I felt I had to do and I do not regret this decision. We have to work together to improve our field and make the sure the people in charge know how important we are.

Becky

3/16/2015 04:48:15 am

I think you make some good points but something to think about. I work at a small DII and at this time we have 5 GAs. But if the education changes go into effect and change the profession from a enter-level degree to a master level degree then you are going to see an increase in internships due to institutions like mine losing our GAs and having to go to interns. Also it forces more people to take internships to gain experience that they will no longer gain having been in a program for 4 years and then a GA. Just some food for thought.

Denny

3/16/2015 06:20:43 am

In this case, the university should hire full time Athletic Trainers instead of interns. This is better for the trust of the athletes. If interns are chosen because they are cheaper to pay, this inhibits the growth of the profession as a whole.
Also, if a GA positionship has the same hours as a staff postion, and can be easily replaced by an additional staff member such as a full time AT, then that GA position ship probably has more than 28 hours a week of work in the summer and more than 20 hours a week during the year, which is against federal law.
Furthermore, the 4 years of "assigned experience" that an undergraduate Athletic Training Student aquires are not considered professional experience, and employers normally do not even consider these hours when looking at applicants for job positions.

Phillip

3/16/2015 05:49:15 am

I think if every AT that has done an internship replied on here, the overwhelming response would be: Yes the internship got my foot into the door at the college table but I also functioned as a full-time AT, did not receive any professional benefits and the salary was at-least half of the other full-time staff in the department. The interns are often assigned to a sport that does not have a full-time staff member already with their sport, which suggests that they work and make decisions independently and are not directly supervised, and should be not classified as an intern.
On the other hand, IF a school has developed a curriculum of trainings for advanced skill sets and techniques, sends them to conferences for professional development and the intern works DIRECTLY under a staff member, then the internship/fellowship title is adequate and legitimate in my opinion.
To avoid too much math, let’s say that the average college AT makes $40,000 and the highest paying internship I’ve seen to date is $20,000. In order to “break even” for the wages and benefits (licensure, insurance, relocation costs, CEUs, etc.) “missed” during your internship, that intern would need to make significantly more money than the average or they may never recoup that money lost.
Additionally, the internship legally makes no guarantee of future employment at the school or others. If a school needs to add more staff in order to provide quality medical care to the athletes, the senior administrator over Athletic Training Services or the Head AT needs to step up and speak up. If NATA continues to allow posting of internships and Head ATs continually get walked over, athletic departments will continue to cut corners where ever they can. I find it extremely insulting that a department will pay an assistant coach or secretary more than an AT, considering the responsibilities, consequences when someone performs their job poorly and the man/woman hours required for the position. If a school wants to post an internship, go post on monster or simplyhired. NATA should not support posting positions that belittle the profession.

3/16/2015 07:59:31 am

great comments Phillip!

Stacy

3/16/2015 07:10:57 am

Preach it!

Mike Hopper, MS, ATC link

3/16/2015 03:57:14 pm

I have said for a long time, internships have no business in Athletic Training past the bachelors degree. They are fantastic for STUDENTS prior to becoming certified and licensed. Everybody wants to talk about "would other healthcare providers do that?" And the answer is NO!

David

3/16/2015 06:47:23 pm

I have had this conversation many times. I think that internships are fine, given the following stipulations: 1. The intern is supervised directly by a full time staff member. 2. It's paid. 3. It's less than 2 years in length. 4. There are regular evaluations. 5. There is active effort for job placement once the internship concludes. 6. interns must have less than 2 years experience. With the switch to 2 year entry level masters program, and clinical experience decreasing since the launch of the new educational guidelines in the early 2000s, hands on experience has taken quite the hit. Internships are an opportunity for students to gain some
Post-Bacc experience in a situation where they may not have otherwise had the opportunity. Take a D1A internship for example, if that internship turns into a full time position, that effectively takes positions away from the kid who has less than 2 years experience and would not have the experience or qualifications to even be considered for the position. Not to mention, once that position is filled, it is filled indefinitely, which takes away the opportunity for the next upstart to cut
His/her teeth at that level. The article also sites average entry level positions. Here's what that looks like. Let's say an entry-level ATC starts at 35k/year for a 12 year appointment with benefits. Let's also say that benefits package is worth 30k. Bottom line is that ATC is a 65k employee. Which is why it is so difficult to sell staff expansions to athletic departments. Intern positions are an easier sell because they are costing 50k less. If internships are done properly and observe my 6 rules, they can strengthen the profession by giving young ATCs more hands on experience as well as some responsibility with the notion that the intern is not on his or her own. Make the positions about growth and not place holding. In closing, some positions are very good, and others are very bad. I know where the author is coming from, but we can't just rant, let's offer solutions as well.

3/17/2015 08:26:51 am

David, while I think your 6 rules are a good starting point for the qualities of an internship, I think you are not seeing the bigger picture. One of your goals as an AT administrator in college or pro is not to sell staff expansion, but to sell improved AT : athlete ratio, improved care provided, decreased staff burnout, appropriate coverage of events, etc. Administration will continue to pay crap if you as an administrator don't push for a respectable pay and don't approach the matter properly because every department will want to add more staff members. Discuss with insurance vendors how to bill for yearly physicals, get local hospitals to fund part of a position, take yearly surveys of athlete happiness, check out injury epidemiology at your school to support another position but don't lower the pay. Meet the demand for the position by selling the big picture, not lowering the compensation standards of the profession.

Jason

3/18/2015 04:23:14 am

AMEN Phillip. There is no arguement that can be made in my mind to sell internships as a good thing. If you need experience go get a job at a high school or work as a physician extender, or elsewhere. We need to STOP selling our profession and new grads/young professionals for cheap labor because that is what it is. You don't see the trades doing this. For a trade job (i.e. electrician, plumber, carpenter, etc) they do apprenticeship as they are learning the job and they get paid as they learn the skills necessary but they are not a full on member of that trade until they complete their apprenticeship and then they are paid what they should be paid as a full member of that trade.

As an NATABOC certified athletic trainer we should be paid what we are worth and it is our job as those in positions of authority to fight, fight and fight for full staff positions and not sell ourselves short. I am dealing with that right now at my clinic. Trying to sell why we need a full time AT to cover each of the 2 HS's we are looking at contracting with instead of trying to "fill" it with a dual credentialed PT/AT. That is on me to sell to my admin and fight for it. I would never expect an AT to take a "full time" job for less than full time pay. Because that is what these internships are "full time" jobs at part time pay.

Megan

3/17/2015 04:50:30 pm

"If a school wants to post an internship, go post on monster or simplyhired. NATA should not support posting positions that belittle the profession." - Phillip

Hear, hear.

I am currently doing an internship at a smaller scale Division I university. I definitely have thoughts on this, that argue both ways.

Pretty much everyone has stated here their opinions on this and the majority have been negative- we, as Certified Athletic Trainer "interns", are paid much too little for the work we do (comparable to full time ATs at the same location), no benefits, and, arguably the worst effect of all, the mindset of young certified Athletic Trainers "settling" for a position (I can say, first hand, that the thought of making $14,000 a year was a glorious prospect after 4 years of undergraduate, spending more than I made). Athletic Trainers are in the slow process of obtaining the recognition we need to raise our salary rate, and the unfortunate truth is that there will always be young certified Athletic Trainers fresh out of undergraduate who will nab the lower-paying positions, simply because they don't know any better.

I can definitely argue that I have it very good where I am doing my internship. I have been given an opportunity to receive benefits (however, I didn't take them, as the position is only 10 months and I am still young enough to be on my parents' insurance), my hours are much less demanding than that of the full time staff (I only work 4-6 hours on a weekday and travel on weekends) and I believe my pay is a fair enough reflection of the hours that I work (sidenote: I do not have any student loans to pay off, and I know that is a serious issue for almost everyone). HOWEVER, I do understand and respect that not all institutions offer what mine does, though I wish they did.

An issue that I do have with my internship (and internships in general) is that often times interns are assigned to a specific team at the university. This team, from year to year, has a new person coming to them that doesn't know who they are or what injuries they have sustained in the past. The beautiful thing about Athletic Training is the opportunity to form these relationships with your athletes, to get to know them beyond the injury they present, and to follow their athletic career throughout their years at the university. I am very sad to be leaving behind the relationships I have made here, and I know my student athletes feel the same way, and ask me why I have to leave.

This is why I loved having the opportunity for an internship:

When I graduated from my undergraduate program I was prepared about as well as books and exams could prepare you for. My clinicals gave me some insight into the life, but I never was fully able to take the reins. The wonderful thing about an Athletic Training Internship is that you are provided with an opportunity to work as an ATC, obtain full responsibility, but still have as much help as you personally need in the background. This year has helped me so much to grow as an Athletic Trainer, while giving me the peace of mind knowing I could still ask for help if I needed it. It has also given me the extra year of experience as a certified that has helped me immensely with getting into graduate school. Had I applied to these same schools last year as an uncertified undergraduate, I cannot say with certainty that I would have gotten into all of them as I did this year.

There are definite pros and cons to internships, and I think that there are some significant changes to be made in terms of revamping the idea behind them- but I don't think we should get rid of them altogether.

3/18/2015 01:51:54 am

I think part of the problem here is the professional divide that exists. The working clinicians believe that our entry-level graduates do not have enough clinical experience (regardless of bachelors or ELM) while our academics believe that our graduates aren't educated enough to pass the BOC and become working clinicians. So what has happened is our didactic work has continued to climb in requirements which in turn has led to a reduction of clinical experiences. I'm sure somebody who graduated through an internship route back in the late 90's and early 2000's would tell me that even when I graduated in 2010 I didn't have enough clinical experiences. And I felt like we had lots of opportunities. And I always wanted more opportunities, but the professors slowed me down.

The other problem that we have and we must address is this: How can we expect the public to value our services and our education if WE don't value our services and our education?

Mark

3/18/2015 04:06:55 am

These "internship" positions are a blight in most cases if you consider them as full time employment. The role that they really *should* fulfill is that of a residency program. i.e. post-credentialing training that leads to advanced practice in a specific specialty area. The pay scale for a resident is different than that of a trained specialist... and should be... because it is advanced training. Of course, to really function as a residency there needs to be ADVANCED TRANING and not merely working as an underpaid staff extender. Perhaps we will grow into this model in the coming years.

The question here should be....Is "college athletics" really a specialty? No, not in the way that everyone else in healthcare defines a specialty (WHAT you do and WHO you treat.... not WHERE you work). Nonetheless, there is an opportunity here to remold these positions. Of course, that only happens if 1) people QUIT taking these "jobs" that pay so far below the standard without offering any structured, organized, advanced training and 2) if NATA quits accepting job postings below a certain salary threshold... it's time to do both.

Emily

4/27/2015 07:07:25 am

Again, I think some of you are missing the point. You do not need an internship to get a good job! I could've secured the SEC job or any other job for that matter. I have turned down working with professional sports teams due to a ridiculous pay and lack of benefits. Stop demoting our profession!!!! No athletic trainer out of college should be working for less than $35k per year + full benefits (that is the lowest I would encourage anyone to accept). The first job offer you get is not the best offer that employer will give you!!! I could go work as PT Aide doing brainless work $30K + full benefits. Why on earth as an AT would I work in a college setting where you are working a heck of a lot more hours than that for so much less $$.

Be proud of being an AT and demand only the best!

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Intern Athletic Trainer Positions are Insulting and Detrimental to Our Profession

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