FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. I have been practicing for several years and my degree is not in athletic training. Do I need to provide transcripts and a certification of education with my application? New applicants are required to provide transcripts and BOC certification for our records. If you do not have a degree in athletic training, the certification of education form will have to be submitted also to verify completion of the core curriculum required by the Board. You are required to contact BOC and have them verify to our office that you have a current and active certification. We cannot accept copies of your certification as proof. 2. I just graduated from my athletic training program? Do I have to apply for licensure right away? You may not practice as an athletic trainer or use the title Athletic Trainer in Michigan until you become licensed. 3. What are the requirements for getting an Athletic Trainer license? How do I apply? You have to submit an application, the required fees, transcripts of your degree in athletic training or the completed certification of education form, and verification of BOC certification, emergency cardiac care certification, and first aid training to the Bureau of Health Care Services, Health Professions Division. You have to have current certification in emergency cardiac care and a minimum of one hour of first aid training within three years before the date of applying for your license. You have to get fingerprinted for a criminal background check. Instructions are included on the license application. 4. Once I submit my application, how long does it take to get my license? Applications are processed as quickly as possible in date received order. 5. Can I apply for my license before I get my BOC certification? Yes, but the license will not be issued until proof of BOC certification is received. 6. Why do I have to have BOC certification in order to get my license? Having BOC certification is proof that you have met the educational and exam requirements for licensure. 2

7. Can I practice athletic training in Michigan with only BOC certification? No. Michigan law requires a license to practice athletic training. BOC certification is not a license issued by the State of Michigan. The Board of Certification is an independent organization that provides a certification program for entry-level athletic trainers; it is not a state licensing body. Proof of BOC certification is required in Michigan to show that you have met the educational and exam requirements for licensure. 8. Will the license period run concurrent with the BOC certification period? Not necessarily. An initial license is issued for one year. After that, licenses are issued for a 3-year period and the licensure cycle expires on September 30. 9. What are the fees for licensure? Application Fee: $75 1st Year License Fee: $200* Criminal Background Check Fee: $62.75 License Renewal Fee: $600 for three year cycle ($200 per year) *The first license is issued for one year. At renewal, the license is issued for three years. 10. Does the 3-year, $600 renewal fee have to be paid in full? Is there a grace period for submitting my renewal? Yes, the renewal fee must be paid in full. If you do not submit your renewal fee and application by the September 30 expiration date, you can continue to practice for 60 days beyond the expiration date. If you submit your application and fee within the 60-day period after the expiration date, a $20 late fee will be imposed. If your renewal application and fee are not received within the 60-day grace period after the expiration date, your license will reflect an expiration date of September 30. 11. I have to send in proof showing I completed 80 hours of continuing education with my renewal application? No. You are not required to submit proof of completion of the required continuing education hours. However, you MUST keep the documentation showing completion of the required continuing education hours for 3 years from the date you sent in the application for renewal. If audited, you would be asked to submit this documentation. 12. Can I pay by credit or debit card? For initial licensure, you have to pay by check or money order only. For licensure renewals, you can pay by credit card, debit card or e-check. All renewals are processed online.

13. Do I need to maintain BOC certification to continue to be licensed? No. You are required to have BOC certification for initial licensure only. You are not required to maintain BOC certification in order to renew your license. However, some employers may require BOC certification so you need to confirm your employer s requirements. 14. I have to take CE to maintain my BOC certification. Can I use that CE for my license renewal? Yes. The 75 CE hours required to maintain BOC certification can be used toward the 80 CE hours required to renew a Michigan license. Make sure you complete 80 CE hours during the 3-year license cycle and you must also take one hour of CE in pain and symptom management and one hour of first aid training during the license cycle. 15. Do I have to get a license in order to do an internship, externship, or graduate assistantship as an Athletic Trainer? The student exemption applies to students enrolled in a board approved health professional training program that are working under the direction of the program. If you are participating in a clinical experience that is actually part of your undergraduate or graduate program, needed in order to complete your program, or under the direction of your program, you are exempt from the licensure requirements as a student and you do not have to obtain a license. However, if you are a graduate student in the last semester of your program and you want to work as an athletic trainer in a setting that is not a part of your program (such as working at a special event that is not under the direction of the program), you MUST obtain an educational limited license in order to work as an athletic trainer under the supervision of a licensed athletic trainer. Your application has to be endorsed by the program director and you have to submit proof of CPR certification with your application or verification from BOC that you are eligible for certification upon completion of your degree. 16. Who can supervise an Athletic Trainer? The practice of athletic trainers shall only be supervised by an allopathic or osteopathic physician licensed in Michigan pursuant to the Public Health Code. However, the supervising MD or DO can delegate supervision responsibilities to another licensed healthcare professional provided that the athletic trainer is notified of the delegation. 17. I am an Athletic Trainer in a high school. How do I make sure I comply with the requirement that I work under the supervision of an MD or DO? The law requires that an athletic trainer work under the supervision and delegation of a licensed physician. You will need to check with your school to determine what process is in place for ensuring compliance with this requirement.

18. I am an Athletic Trainer in a high school. I have responsibilities at multiple field locations at the same time. Can I use high school students to cover events at locations where I am not present? No. A high school student can assist with athletic training tasks such as wrapping, taping, applying heat or cold, etc. only in the immediate presence of the licensed athletic trainer. 19. In a high school setting, what services can a coach perform? If the program does not have a licensed athletic trainer, the coach can offer basic first aid services and basic risk management and injury prevention as taught in the basic first aid training. They should not, however, be practicing athletic training, holding themselves out as an athletic trainer or delegating athletic training services to others unless they are licensed athletic trainers. 20. Do Athletic Trainers from other states coming into Michigan with their teams have to obtain a license? An out-of-state athletic trainer coming into Michigan with his or her team does not have to obtain a license if the athletic trainer will be in the state for less than 30 consecutive days. The out-of-state athletic trainer must either be BOC certified or licensed in his or her home state. 21. Can the Bureau of Health Care Services, Health Professions Division or the Athletic Trainer Board answer questions about insurance reimbursement? No. We suggest you contact the providers directly or your association if you have questions regarding reimbursement. 22. If I am licensed in Canada as an Athletic Therapist, can I use the Athletic Therapist title in Michigan? The Michigan Public Health Code only recognizes the title athletic trainer. If you are practicing athletic training in Michigan, you have to be licensed as an athletic trainer and that is the title you have to use. Michigan does not recognize the title athletic therapist. 23. What initials can I use after my name to indicate that I am a licensed Athletic Trainer? If I have other certifications, what do I list first? The Michigan Athletic Trainer Board has adopted the initials AT to indicate that a person holds an athletic trainer license in Michigan. Your AT initials indicating that you are licensed should be used first. Credentials issued to you by other organizations or associations should follow the AT. If you are not licensed as an athletic trainer in Michigan, but have maintained the BOC certification that enables you to use the ATC credential, you may use the ATC credential only if you ARE NOT practicing athletic training and/or holding

yourself out to be an athletic trainer. Example: A physical therapist that is also BOC certified but not practicing AT or calling themself an AT. They should use the following on their letterhead, Jane Doe, PT, ATC. 24. How do I file a complaint regarding a licensed Athletic Trainer? What if I think someone is working as an Athletic Trainer without a license? Information on the complaint process can be found on the Bureau of Health Care Services, Health Professions Division s website at www.michigan.gov/healthlicense. If you think someone is practicing athletic training without a license, you should contact your county prosecutor s office or file a complaint with the Bureau of Health Care Services, Health Professions Division. The Bureau of Health Care Services, Health Professions Division has limited authority over an unlicensed individual, including the ability to issue an Order to Cease and Desist to an individual suspected of practicing a licensed health profession without a license. 25. How to supervise an athletic trainer in a physical therapist setting. DISCLAIMER: The questions and answers presented in this document are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended and should not be considered as legal advice for your particular matter. Contact an attorney if you need further assistance. We have been asked several times the conditions for supervision of an athletic trainer in a physical therapist organization. Unfortunately, the answer is not simple. The first question that has to be asked is what role does the athletic trainer (AT) hold? If he or she is not employed as an AT and the skills of the AT are not required of that position, then he or she can be treated as any other unregulated employee. If he or she is employed as an AT, then the PT must treat the AT as a licensed individual who can do any of the tasks within their scope of practice. The next question is what are the tasks that the PT wants to delegate or assign to the AT? If the tasks or activities are within the scope of practice of the AT, then the tasks are referred or assigned to the licensed AT. The employer-employee level of supervision is required but the PT does not have the authority to directly supervise the AT as would be the case with a non-pta assistant. The PT is referring a particular activity to the AT that is within the scope of the AT so it is licensee to licensee referral. If the tasks or activities that are within the scope of practice of the PT only, then the PT would be delegating activities to a licensed individual (AT in this

case) under general supervision. The AT still holds a license and may have additional training by the PT that enables him or her to do the PT function but general supervision is required because the AT is acting outside of their scope of practice. If the tasks or activities are within the scope of practice of both the PT and AT, then the tasks can be referred to the AT as listed in #1. Specifically what is within the scope of practice for an AT versus a PT? The law defines the scope of practice for each as follows: "Practice of athletic training" means the treatment of an individual for risk management and injury prevention, the clinical evaluation and assessment of an individual for an injury or illness, or both, the immediate care and treatment of an individual for an injury or illness, or both, and the rehabilitation and reconditioning of an individual's injury or illness, or both, as long as those activities are within the rules promulgated under section 17904 and performed under the direction and supervision of an individual licensed under part 170 or 175. The practice of athletic training does not include the practice of physical therapy, the practice of medicine, the practice of osteopathic medicine and surgery, the practice of chiropractic, or medical diagnosis or treatment. "Practice of physical therapy" means the evaluation of, education of, consultation with, or treatment of an individual by the employment of effective properties of physical measures and the use of therapeutic exercises and rehabilitative procedures, with or without assistive devices, for the purpose of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical or mental disability. Physical therapy includes treatment planning, performance of tests and measurements, interpretation of referrals, initiation of referrals, instruction, consultative services, and supervision of personnel. Physical measures include massage, mobilization, heat, cold, air, light, water, electricity, and sound. Practice of physical therapy does not include the identification of underlying medical problems or etiologies, establishment of medical diagnoses, or the prescribing of treatment. Note: The State Board cannot identify which specific tasks are strictly physical therapy or athletic training. The professions will have to determine that distinction. October 2013