It can be argued that doctoral education among healthcare professionals increases practice opportunities, professional standing, depth and breadth of learning, and curricular space. Concomitant with these educational changes are trends toward an environment of inter-professional teamwork, greater depth and breadth of specialty knowledge, demand for evidence-based practice, increasing cost of higher education, and decreasing healthcare dollars. These changes already adopted by most other health professions places athletic training at an evolutionary crossroads. As such, current educational models may inadequately represent the athletic training profession and limit future opportunities. Accordingly, athletic trainers must continue to plan for the future with consideration of various stakeholders, while acknowledging challenges faced by other health professionals. In that regard, Trends in Doctoral Education Among Health Professionals: Why Athletic Trainers Should Care looks at the issue from three different perspectives-historical, relation to various healthcare fields, and athletic training education.
Among the topics covered:
• What is a doctoral degree?
• Historical context of athletic trainer professional preparation
• Trends in other health professions
• Research training and productivity
• Endangered post-professional education and training?
Among the topics covered:
• What is a doctoral degree?
• Historical context of athletic trainer professional preparation
• Trends in other health professions
• Research training and productivity
• Endangered post-professional education and training?
