BS in Health Sciences: Allied Health and Sports Medicine

The allied health and sports medicine specialization will prepare an STU student to enter several health professions majors such as athletic training, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or physician assistant school. Allied health specialization involves identification, prevention, and evaluation of injuries or diseases with a focus on nutrition, healthy lifestyle, and rehabilitation. This program can prepare a student for over 20 different professions which comprise nearly 60% of the healthcare workforce. This all-encompassing specialization will allow freshman or transfer students an avenue to learn about exercise science, anatomy/physiology, athletic training, and better understanding of numerous health and wellness topics affecting the U.S.

This new degree is tailored to healthcare master’s degree programs with a focus on requirements that will give an STU student the competitive edge needed to succeed in graduate school. This program is offered at a small private institution with a low professor to student ratio to ensure success. This program will provide all students with an internship within the profession of interest.

Program Highlights

  • The student will learn from professors with specialties in biology, athletic training, exercise science, strength & conditioning, and health administration for increased exposure to a multidisciplinary approach to student learning.
  • State-of-the-Art COSMED exercise testing equipment housed within STU’s brand new human performance and research lab.
  • Opportunity to customize your degree to meet your post academic or professional needs.
  • Small class sizes and personal advising to ensure all individual needs are met
  • Hands-on labs will ensure direct application of knowledge to further enhance the student learning experience and make relatable to real-world skills
  • Internships for all students completing this program that can lead to employment opportunities.

Career Landscape

  • Average salary for several allied Health Professions is:
    Athletic Training professional is $49,860
    Occupational Therapist is $84,950
    Physical Therapist $89,440
    Physician Assistant $112,260 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • The growth of all these professions is between 16% – 31% in the next 10 years
  • Allied Health Professionals make up more than 60% of the workforce
  • Healthcare is 18% of the U.S. economy, twice as high as in other countries
  • The demand for healthcare workers between now and 2026 will grow by approximately 18%.
  • Increasing percentages of healthcare jobs require bachelors and graduate degrees (info from explorehealthcareers.org)

Internship and Job Placement Opportunities

An internship will be offered in the last semester of the program for hands-on experience and experiential learning for a better understanding of the allied health profession of choice.

The team doctors for STU work for Baptist Health and professional sports teams which will allow for possible opportunities. STU has over 1,000 athletes and opportunities to work with the athletic trainers and physicians to observe in real time evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation services.

LECOM Early Acceptance Program

STU offers an Early Acceptance Programs (EAP) for Pre-Health students to attend Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), one of America’s largest and most affordable medical schools. LECOM will admit up to five STU students each to the medicine, pharmacy, and dental EAPs and up to two students to the podiatry EAP. All STU students in the program are guaranteed to receive LECOM admissions interviews. Pending STU and LECOM admissions committee reviews, students can join the LECOM early admission programs between their acceptance to STU and their sophomore year of college, with some students potentially eligible to start their medical school career after just three years of undergraduate study.

Curriculum

  • Care and treat of Athletic Injuries
  • Healthcare Facility Management
  • First Aid & Emergent Care
  • Kinesiology
  • Exercise Physiology

 

Program Contacts:

Konar Smith, MAT, ATC, CAT(C), CSCS
Instructor and Human Performance Lab Coordinator
Konar@stu.edu

Professor Jason Dawlabani, LAT, ATC, LMT
Health Sciences Practicum Coordinator & Instructor
jdawlabani@stu.edu

External Resources