EXERCISE SCIENCE
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Students enrolled in the pre-medical concentration offered through Mercyhurst University's Sports Medicine program will focus and learn evaluation, hands-on skills to prevent, manage and recognize sports-related injuries. This Mercyhurst Sports Medicine concentration will prepare students for medical school or chiropractic school, as well as help them to work toward a special emphasis in the field, especially orthopedic medicine.

Sports Medicine students enrolled in the pre-medical concentration will meet regularly with the university's pre-health advisory committee and the Sports Medicine department to arrange for MCAT preparation, shadowing and the pre-med advisory board interview. Mercyhurst students in this Sports Medicine program are required to complete at least 100 hours of work, service or observation in an appropriate health or medical setting. Opportunities are available for student observation with orthopedic surgeons and Sports Medicine fellowship trained physicians through Orthopedic and Sports Medicine of Erie, P.C. and Lecom Medical Fitness and Wellness Center. The pre-medical student is required to observe one orthopedic surgical procedure.

This concentration provides the student with the necessary course pre-requisites and clinical hand-on experience for entrance into a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Students who choose this educational pathway will be exposed to the special needs physically active population. This population may include military veterans, pediatric orthopedic patients, head-trauma victims and other orthopedic special needs patients. Pre-occupational Therapy students have clinical observation opportunities at Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Barber National Institute.

The Pre-Physical Therapy concentration is a highly competitive option within the Sportsmedicine department for those interested in the field of physical therapy. Students are prepared to gain acceptance into physical therapy doctoral programs across the nation upon graduation through a comprehensive background in allied health science, orthopedic assessment, therapeutic modalities and health and wellness of the physically active population.

Upon graduation, this concentration offers guaranteed placement into D'Youville College's Doctoral of Physical Therapy program along with Gannon University's Doctoral of Physical Therapy program. Graduates of this concentration have also attended Univeristy of Pittsburgh and Duke University as well as other Doctoral of Physical Therapy programs across the nation. Pre-physical Therapy students have clinical observation opportunities at UPMC Hamot, Lecom Medical Fitness and Wellness Center, Shriners Hospitals for Children and various private physical therapy clinics.

This concentration will provide the student with the necessary course pre-requisites and clinical hands-on experience for entrance into master's degree level Physician Assistants curriculum.The pre-physician assistant student will learn orthopedic evaluation skills and recognition of injuries associated to the physically active individual. Clinical observation opportunities of physician assistants include Orthopedic and Sports Medicine of Erie, P.C.

Pre-physician Assistant students graduating from the Sports Medicine Department will have the opportunity for acceptance via six preferential slots into the Physical Assistant Studies Masters Program at Mercyhurst University. Mercyhurst University has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Mercyhurst University anticipates matriculating its first class in June 2014, pending Accreditation - Provisional in March 2014. Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status for a new PA program that has not yet enrolled students, but at the time of its initial accreditation review, has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accordance with the Accreditation Standards.

The Physician Assistant allied health profession is an ever-growing specialty in today's medical fields. The Physician Assistant provides medical services to the expanding healthcare population. These services include initial evaluation and assessment of the patient, writing of prescriptions and follow-up care. A physician oversees the healthcare provided by the Physician Assistants.