Can students complete internships outside the AT program?
If the camp/internship falls outside of the program’s educational requirements, then the individual is not defined as an athletic training student by the CAATE. If these experiences are solely sought out by the student (and are not a part of the program’s educational/clinical requirements), the program would not be required to prove compliance with applicable Standards. However, to protect the student, we would encourage you to check with your state practice act (and those of the state the student may be participating), as some state practice acts specify what defines an athletic training student. If they are functioning outside of that definition, they may not be protected from liability if they are participating outside of the actions of a CAATE accredited educational program. Thus, the student may be open to unlimited liability or potential violation of state practice acts and may not be protected in these scenarios.