Daemen University athletic training students participate in a simulation exercise offered by Sports Medicine Concepts.

Anyone interested in an athletic training career can catch a glimpse of Daemen athletic training students putting their skills to the test in a new commercial by Sports Medicine Concepts, Inc. (SMC), which focuses on training sports healthcare professionals in the management of potentially catastrophic injuries in athletics.

Before entering the field, Daemen AT students learn the skills needed to perform at a high level their first day on the job. Beginning in their first year, students gain hands on experience at SMC.

Students work as a team, taking turns with leadership roles, through simulated scenarios including an athlete who has sustained a cervical spine injury, heat stroke, cardiac arrest, and more.

“I think the content you see in our commercial highlights how serious Daemen students take the opportunity to develop their emergency response skills,” said Michael J. Cendoma, owner/CEO and director of operations of SMC. “Our commercial spot highlights just how prepared Daemen students are to perform the ultimate part of their job on day one. This is a direct result of the Daemen staff’s commitment to providing the best education and preparation for students in their athletic training program.”

For those interested in pursuing a career in athletic training or learning more about the profession, we asked Cendoma some questions to gain valuable, first-hand professional insights about the athletic training field.

Can you tell me a little bit about your company and how it relates to the field of AT?

Sports Medicine Concepts was founded in 1995 as a direct result of my involvement in the mismanagement of a critically injured athlete early on in my career as an athletic trainer. That event identified a gap in athletic trainers’ and EMS’ preparedness to complete critical care tasks as part of an interdisciplinary and collaborative medical team. I founded SMC to address that gap in such a way as to have a meaningful and measurable impact on outcomes for critically injured athletes.

Why did you choose to pursue a career in athletic training?

Athletic Training is a great fit for me because I am a former athlete who had suffered multiple injuries throughout my career.  My job as an athletic trainer allows me to continue to live vicariously through the athletes I work with, but, more importantly, I am able to express very clearly to athletes what it is like to suffer an injury, have surgery, and work hard to return to play.  I also know what it is like to have long lasting consequences of those injuries, so I can offer perspective to help athletes get the most from participation in athletics while giving them the best chance of avoiding problems long after their careers are over. Athletic training is a great profession to get into if you seek rewards such as these.

What made you want to start SMC?

The opportunities for athletic trainers are limited only by one’s motivation to make a career out of athletic training.  I did not foresee SMC as my career path, but I founded SMC because I am driven to make athletics as safe as possible, to protect the athletes who play, and to protect the integrity of competition because athletics offers so many life lessons, rewards, and the drive that people need to reach their greatest potential in all phases of life.

What are some words of advice you would give to new graduates before entering the workforce?

Athletic training can be a fun job. After all, you get paid to watch sports. But at the end of the day, you have an ultimate responsibility to be ready to properly manage sports’ worst moment. The athletes you are looking out for are someone’s sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. You need to be prepared for that moment to happen your first day on the job, and every day thereafter.

 

Learn more about what Daemen students learn at SMC by checking out our on-ice simulation post.