The Impact of Clinical Experiences from Athletic Training Student and Preceptor Perspectives

Abstract

Context: Clinical education is an integral part of athletic training programs. This is where students should develop their professional identities and become socialized into the profession. Understanding the student and preceptor perspectives of the impact that clinical experiences have on students can provide valuable insight into this aspect of athletic training education. Objective: To evaluate the impact of clinical education on the professional development of athletic training students from the student and preceptor perspective. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited undergraduate programs. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 15 participants (7 athletic training students and 8 preceptors) from four schools enrolled in our study. Data Collection and Analysis: One researcher conducted semistructured interviews over the phone or in person. Data analysis used a general inductive approach to reveal the dominant themes that related t...