Vanderbilt University Medical Center formalized an agreement with Tennessee State University to provide undergraduate students with direct access to clinical training opportunities within VUMC’s Division of Sports Medicine.
The internship program stands out among VUMC’s similar arrangements with other schools because it specifically offers undergraduate students semester-long clinical internships alongside Division I athletes at Vanderbilt University.
“This collaborative effort between Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center will provide TSU students interested in athletic training and sports medicine with the opportunity to learn directly from VUMC’s athletic training staff on the sidelines of Vanderbilt athletic events,” said Nick Caporale, MS, associate athletic trainer in Sports Medicine at VUMC who oversees the student internships and is based in Vanderbilt’s Sports Medicine facility.
The internships are designed to give students experience with what they will do as athletic trainers, if they choose the field, which recently transitioned from requiring a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree for entry-level positions, said Caporale. This change has reduced the number of incoming athletic trainers, making quality undergraduate preparation even more crucial, he said.
TSU students in the Human Performance and Sport Sciences program complete 225 hours of hands-on experience working with VUMC’s athletic training staff during Vanderbilt athletic events and daily operations. The program serves students interested in athletic training, physical therapy and other allied health care professions, providing them with valuable exposure to high-caliber collegiate athletics.
Jason Smith, EdD, chair of TSU’s Human Performance and Sport Sciences department, praised the collaboration’s potential impact.
“The professionalism demonstrated by the team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center throughout this process has been exceptional. This agreement enhances the growing legacy of Tennessee State University’s Human Performance and Sport Sciences department, aligning it with the nation’s premier universities and medical centers,” said Smith.
The agreement, effective Aug. 1, includes coordinated scheduling and annual reviews to ensure both programs remain aligned in their educational objectives.
