About

Athletic Training

Congratulations to our December graduates Caitlyn Harter, Paige Clawson and Brock Wright for passing their Board of Certification Exam on the first attempt!! They are now eligible for certification as an athletic trainer once they graduate! The Truman Athletic Training program is at a 100% first time pass rate for the Board of Certification exam.

After graduating from physical therapy school with my DPT degree and reflecting back on my years of education, I can confidently say the HES department at Truman prepared me more than I could have imagined when I chose to attend Truman. From day one, the faculty and staff within the department made me feel like family and always made an effort to get to know me on a more personal level. The professors are extremely knowledgeable about their respective areas, and it was a privilege to be able to learn from some of the best. Truman provided excellent opportunities in undergraduate research and formal presentations as well as extracurricular activities. My experience at Truman had such a positive impact on my life; therefore, I would highly recommend this program to potential students looking for an engaging curriculum to prepare them for success in PT school.

 

Brittany (Beeler) Eagen (’13), Exercise Science

Health Science graduates, Erika Holliday (2015) and Bonnie Kempker (2016), attended the Missouri Public Health Association Conference in September. Erika is now the Health Educator for Columbia-Boone County Health Department in Missouri and Bonnie works as an Adolescent Health Educator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

On Tuesday, September 26^th, Alicia Wodika traveled with four students (left to right: Manasa Chintakunta, Mitch Schroeder, Maha Mohamed, and Chaney Cooper) to the Missouri Public Health Association Conference in Columbia, Missouri.

When I graduated my goal was to find a role where I could engage in community collaboration, promote healthy living practices, and influence health-related policies.  My journey in public health began as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) near Kansas City, Missouri

where I developed and implemented a variety of community-based health promotion programs.  While working full-time as a community health educator, I pursued my Master of Public Health (MPH) degree online from University of Missouri-Columbia.  I also obtained a Global Public Health Certificate, which allowed me to complete a month-long MPH internship abroad in Ghana, Africa.  In August 2015, I was selected to participate in the Greater Kansas City Healthcare Foundation’s yearlong Healthy Communities Leadership Academy with other professionals to improve community collaboration, civic leadership, and system/policy change. I am thrilled to have transitioned into the role of project manager at the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in 2016.  Working alongside a team of medical and public health professionals, I am contributing to tobacco cessation research.  In spring 2017, I advanced to a master level health education specialist (MCHES).  I am proud that my work is directly influencing positive change in public health so I can continue improving health outcomes in my community. My accomplishments are a result of the hands-on experience I received and the confidence I gained from HES staff and faculty, as a student and alumna.

-Amanda Grodie (’11), Health Science

Truman State University was named as one of the Top Ten Schools with the most students qualifying for the CHES examination for 2015 and 2016 by the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC).  In both 2015 and 2016 Truman State University was ranked number six.  The other schools on the lists are as follows:

2015

1. Emory University – Rollins School of Public Health
2. James Madison University
3. California State University – Northridge
4. East Carolina University
5. New Jersey City University
6. Truman State University
7. University of Florida – Gainesville
8. University of Utah
9. University of Puerto Rico
10. (tie) University of North Carolina – Greensboro, and University of Wisconsin – Lacrosse

2016

1. Walden University
2. Texas A & M University
3. California State University – Northridge
4. Liberty University
5. New Jersey City University
6. Truman State University
7. University of Florida – Gainesville
8. Utah Valley University
9. University of Puerto Rico
10. University of North Carolina – Greensboro

Health Science students from the Department of Health and Exercise Science are required to take the national CHES exam (Certified Health Education Specialist) as their senior exit exam.  Nationally, the pass rate for the CHES exam is 70%.  The April 2017 pass rate for the 51 graduating seniors taking the exam was 96%.

The CHES exam is competency-based test covering the seven major areas of responsibility for a Health Education Specialist:

1. Assess needs, assets, and capacity for health education/promotion
2. Plan health education/promotion
3. Implement health education/promotion
4. Conduct evaluation and research related to health education/promotion
5. Administer and manage health education/promotion
6. Serve as a health education/promotion resource person
7. Communicate, promote, and advocate for health, and the profession of health education/promotion

NCHEC is the only nationally and internationally accredited organization certifying health education specialists.  Additionally, NCHEC promotes professional development among CHES-certified individuals, and works to strengthens professional preparation and practice among university preparation programs.

The Health Science curriculum is built around the CHES Areas of Responsibilities and is designed to build the competencies and sub-competencies of the majors to be better prepared to enter the health workforce and/or attend graduate programs in health-related fields.  The five full-time Health Science faculty are all CHES or MCHES (Master CHES) certified.

Nancy Daley-Moore taught a JBA course entitled Consumer Health: The Media’s Role in Your Health. During the course, students learned about different topics in health, such as skin care, dental health, alternative medicine, and nutrition. Students also learned about advertising tactics and created their own advertisements about a particular health topic. Thank you to HES majors Hannah Denkler & Autumn Shepherd for being the preceptors for the course.

“After I graduated in 2006, I accepted a job offer at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison.  In 2011, I opted to go back to school part-time while working at the Cancer Center and received a Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate.  In 2012 I moved to Gwangju, South Korea, where I taught conversational English to elementary, middle, and high school students.  After my return to the US,  I opted to return to graduate school and in May of 2017, I graduated with my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Des Moines University.  I am currently employed in an outpatient clinic which specializes in one-on-one manual therapy.

At Truman I learned to communicate more effectively.  I have found that writing and presenting yourself well can open many doors, allowing you to convey important information in resumes and cover letters, scholarship applications, and interviews. In addition, I met wonderful faculty at Truman and in HES specifically who offered advice, encouragement, and a listening ear when I needed it, even 10 years later!  I am forever thankful for the caliber of faculty and fellow students I met at Truman.

My education at Truman was really broad; I took Italian classes and studied abroad in Rome.  I completed research with HES faculty.  I combined intense science courses with classes in religion, English, linguistics, and music.

For the lucky individuals who know exactly what they want to do with their lives – that is wonderful.   However, for the rest of us, be calm in the knowledge that it’s totally okay. Really.  I can look back on the years since I left Truman and see how the path that lead me to today – while certainly not linear – made me more determined to pursue my DPT and has given me life experience that makes it easier to connect with my patients.”
—Mary Beth Wims (’06), Health Science; Minors in Biology, Psychology, and Italian Studies

In Spring 2018 ES instructors Jana Arabas and Liz Jorn will be offering ES 206: First Aid and CPR Instructor. The course is a 1 credit class that will meet Tuesdays from 12:00-1:20. Upon successful completion of the course students will be certified to teach CPR/First Aid classes through the American Heart Association. This course would be ideal for students looking to obtain Graduate Assistantships, nursing students, or anyone else desiring to teach CPR classes. The class is currently closed and requires pre-approval for registration. Please contact Jana (jlarabas@truman.edu) with questions.