In late November 2023, graduate athletic training students were in the U-M NeuroSport Clinic, practicing concussion evaluation. When they were done, they removed their virtual reality headsets — and resumed their class at the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation. They had been testing out a virtual module that could help health care practitioners better understand the nuances of concussion evaluation and diagnosis.

The experience is just one example of the constant evolution in sports medicine as new research emerges — and how U-M athletic training students get to learn to put these advancements into practice, guided by faculty who are prominent researchers in the field.

"We want our students to be the leaders and the best,” says Lindsey Lepley, an associate professor of athletic training and movement science and one of the faculty members who teaches the course. “And, to achieve that, they need to be implementing the newest insights into the clinic and becoming critical consumers of research.”

"Contemporary Issues in Sports Medicine,” which launched as a mandatory course in the Athletic Training Program in fall 2022, specifically focuses on new and emerging scientific evidence related to health care for an athletic population. Students hear about the latest developments in wearable tech, psychological wellness, heat illness, ACL rehab, neuroplasticity, training loads, biofeedback, and a wide array of other relevant subjects. 

The course also covers practical topics, like what to do if an emergency occurs at a sporting event, which could range from a catastrophic injury on the field to an impending tornado.

"Most of them will go on to be practicing athletic trainers within six to 12 months, and they’ll be out in the workforce applying this information,” says Steven Broglio, a professor of athletic training and associate dean of graduate student affairs. “It prepares them before they launch.”

Students typically take the course during their second year, in the semester when they’re not involved in their immersive clinical experience. Many of the assignments involve reading research articles and engaging with scientists directly. Guest lectures — via Zoom or in person — are often a key component of the class.

"We want to help demystify the people behind the papers,” Lepley says. “My hope is that students are not afraid to pick up a research article, develop their own opinions on it and reach out to the authors if they have follow-up questions.”

To complement the weekly research discussions, Broglio and Lepley add different elements each semester. Students may discuss how to handle a topic in the news, like Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s onf ield cardiac arrest in January 2023 or Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s many concussions. Other times, they’re getting acquainted with new technology, like the VR headset to evaluate concussions, or making their own podcasts featuring experts in the field. During one semester, they even participated in a mock courtroom cross-examination while considering the legal aspects of sports medicine.

Above all else, the course embodies the program’s philosophy more broadly — that students should stay curious, long after they graduate.

"Every instructor within the program is trying to instill in the students that this is just the beginning of your knowledge journey, not the end,” Broglio says, “and this class is a part of that.”