Ten students and four faculty members from Sendai University visited KRS from February 13 to 16 for the 24th Sendai University Athletic Training Study Tour, followed by KRS’ fourth installment of the Hawaii International Athletic Training Education Clinic (HI-ATEC) from March 7 to 14. Both were led by KRS faculty Dr. Kaori Tamura and Dr. Yukiya Oba.
As in previous tours, Sendai University students began their athletic training tour with two English conversation session by English language instructor Don Pomes focusing on medical/healthcare-related conversation and terminology.
Another unique aspect of the study tour are the opportunity to observe university level courses such as Olympic Lifting by Tommy Heffernan, Upper Extremity Assessment by Dr. Yukiya Oba, and Therapeutic Exercise by Dr. Bret Freemyer. Dr. Oba also delivered a special seminar session specifically for Sendai University students on what it takes and what the key steps are to becoming an international student and pursue healthcare profession training at KRS.
Sendai student with KRS chair Dr. Nathan Murata and COE’s Dean Young at the graduation ceremony
Thanks to KRS’ relationship with McKinley High School, the students were also given access to observe how McKinley High School athletic trainers (Tomoki Kanaoka and Leanna Goeckeritz) work and function as healthcare professionals within the school and HIDOE system. The students also went on an Athletics Department tour and Women’s basketball and Baseball game observation, followed by participation in NCAA Division I athletics events (a new addition to the athletic training study tour offering). In addition to structured experiences, the program participants also engaged in less formal contexts, such as the get-together lunch with KRS Athletic Training students where they had a chance to practice their English.
KRS recently also created another similar program, with the difference being that participants do not necessarily need to only be from one university – the Hawaii International Athletic Training Education Clinic or HI-ATEC program, run once per semester. For the Spring 2017 HI-ATEC, athletic training students from Ritsumeikan University and Sendai University participated in a 6-day Gross Anatomy course hosted by KRS, in collaboration with the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) which included access to cadaver dissection which is hard to come by in Japan.
KRS will continue hosting these unique international athletic training seminars and clinics, and specifically hopes to also increase participation in the newly developed HI-ATEC program.
