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and amateur athletes, said that high school students considering
the field should take as many science classes as possible—and
do well in them. “PT school is challenging and competitive,”
Steigbigel said, so a commitment to hardwork is important. Some
physical therapy programs now require high school students to
shadow a professional like Steigbigel, so they get a sense of the
work and the skills the job requires.
College Choices
All of the different sports medicine jobs share an emphasis on
sciences that explore how the body (and sometimes the mind)
works. That means taking courses in
physiology
, which is the
study of muscles, organs, and cells, and how they work. Another
important subject is anatomy, which focuses on the structure of
the body. These classes and others help sports medicine experts
know what is wrong when athletes are injured. Some of the
other subjects examine how the body should move properly
(
kinesiology
) and how to provide care for specific injuries.
For each of the four main fields covered in this book, here’s
a closer look at the academic programs and other requirements
you’ll need to fulfill before starting your job.
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