Center for Health & Sports Medicine at Canisius College

by Michael G. Dolan, MA, ATC, CSCS
Professor/Athletic Trainer
Canisius College
School of Education and Human Services
Department of Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance

The proposed Center for Health & Sports Medicine at Canisius College would disseminate health and injury prevention information to high school students, heath care professionals, the college community and general public.  A multifaceted approach utilizing a new course, a professional lecture series, educational travel and an undergraduate outreach program would form the core components of the center.  Undergraduate students would serve as representatives of the center and college by providing educational information to targeted groups throughout Western New York.  The center would focus resources on populations that typically receive minimal instruction on health and injury prevention, such as high school students in the Buffalo public schools and educational partners via the School of Education and Human Services.

Objectives and Plan of Activities

Objectives:
  • Develop the Center for Sports Medicine as the premier source for information on issues of sports medicine and health in Western New York.
  • Design and implement a new course titled:  Seminar in Sports Medicine, in which students would:
    • Research current trends in health and athletic injury prevention
    • Develop educational presentations utilizing software and multi-media equipment for presentation to local high schools and community groups
    • Work with an established team of Canisius and University of Buffalo researchers on a series of controlled experiments investigating the use of common therapeutic modalities (ice, elastic wraps, and high voltage electrical stimulation) on swelling and/or pain following orthopedic trauma.
  • Through the course and faculty-student interaction empower undergraduate students via guided research, development of educational material, travel to educational sites and community service by outreach to a larger community.
  • Deliver educational presentations to approximately 400 high school students per semester throughout Western New York.
  • Via the outreach program, expose a large number of underrepresented minority high school students to the quality of Canisius College.
  • Implement a high school seminar program will be bring 20-25 high school students to campus for educational programming and exposure to Canisius.
  • Expose students to research centers that are currently investigating new strategies of injury prevention and health care of the physically active.
  • Develop a lecture series comprised of experts in specific aspects of injury prevention and athletic health that meet the content needs of health care professionals, undergraduate students, student athletes, and the general population.