Inside Sports Medicine
Welcome to the Department of Sports Medicine at Norwich University! If you are interested in a career in Allied Health or Human Performance, you’ve come to the right place. Students who major in Sports Medicine-Athletic Training or Sports Medicine-Health Sciences earn a powerful Bachelor of Science degree that prepares them for a variety of professional career paths - including athletic training, physical therapy, exercise physiology and strength and conditioning – in a variety of professional settings like clinics and hospitals, research laboratories, high schools, and professional sports.
Sports Medicine majors are engaged in hands-on learning as early as the freshman year. Diverse field experiences prepare the future clinician with real-time interactive learning under the supervision of our knowledgeable clinical instructors.
Students who pursue Sports Medicine-Athletic Training will find a virtually limitless array of field experience opportunities on the Norwich campus, at local high schools, and with area professional and Olympic sports venues. The Athletic Training Education Program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, allowing students who successfully complete degree requirements to sit for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (BOC) exam to earn the Certified Athletic Trainer credential. Norwich’s Athletic Training program boasts a near-100% BOC exam passing rate – far higher than the national average of less than 50%.
Sports Medicine-Health Sciences prepares future professionals for graduate work in research, health policy and administration, and other health and human performance-based disciplines. Students interested in research will find the availability of rigorous and challenging science courses to be ideal. Norwich students have the opportunity to earn distinction by engaging in research at the undergraduate level.
A significant number of free electives allow the student to tailor the Sports Medicine degree to his/her unique career aspirations. Students work closely with the Sports Medicine faculty to develop a four-year plan that best meets the needs and goals of the individual.
For more information about the Sports Medicine major, Athletic Training or Health Sciences, please contact Todd Neuharth, Department of Sports Medicine Chair, at nusportmed@norwich.edu.
Meet the Faculty
Eduardo “Chico” Hernandez, MA, MEd, ATC currently serves
as the Chair of the Biology and Physical Education Department.
Professor Hernandez received his undergraduate and graduate degrees
from Norwich University and completed a second master’s degree at
Middlebury College. Professor Hernandez is a past president of
the Vermont Association of Athletic Trainers and was instrumental in
passage of the Vermont athletic training licensure act. Professor
Hernandez’s research interests center on student instruction and
learning.
Todd Neuharth, MA, ATC currently serves as the Chair of the Sports
Medicine Department. Professor Neuharth completed his
undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota, his graduate work at
the University of South Dakota and became a board certified athletic
trainer in 1988. Before coming to Norwich, Professor Neuharth
held faculty positions at the University of Minnesota, Morris and the
University of Maine, Presque Isle. Professor Neuharth has served
as a president of the Montana Athletic Trainers Association and
currently is a member of the State of Vermont Board of Profession
Regulation for Athletic Training; in addition he serves as a
peer-reviewer and examiner for the National Athletic Trainers Association
Board of Certification. Professor Neuharth’s current
research interests involve community acquired methicillin-resistance
Staphylococcus aureus in sports and the application of therapeutic
lasers.
Jennifer Noll, MS, ATC currently serves as the Clinical Education
Coordinator for the Sports Medicine Department. Professor Noll
completed her undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and
earned her Master of Science at the University of Illinois. Prior to
arriving at Norwich, she was the head athletic trainer for wheelchair
sports at the University of Illinois. Presently, Ms. Noll holds
additional certification as an Ergonomics Assessment Specialist.
Research interests focus on the use of neuropsychological testing to
evaluate sport-related concussions and the application of
evidence-based medicine in the classroom.
Student Activity
The Norwich University Sports Medicine Society (NUSMS) is organizing
events for the 2007 – 2008 school year. This student organization
enhances members’ understanding of sports medicine through a
variety of professional and educational activities. Plans for the
upcoming months include study sessions, attending district meetings and
conferences, and field trips to observe orthopedic surgical procedures.
Clinical Experiences
Students in Sports Medicine engage in hands-on clinical experiences
at the collegiate level, with local high schools and at sports medicine
clinics. Summer internships provide additional learning opportunities
with professional organizations around the country. In addition, our
students gain valuable experience by participating in community events
like the Vermont City Marathon and Special Olympics tournaments.
Clinical hours attained during these experiences count toward the total
number of hours necessary to be eligible for graduation and, for
Athletic Training majors, to take the National Athletic Trainers’
Association Board of Certification exam.