MANASSAS, Va.---George Mason University's health, fitness and recreation resources department is helping Marines help themselves physically and academically with degree-granting programs and a sports medicine facility on the U.S. Marine Corps base at Quantico.

The George Mason program in health, fitness and recreation resources was first offered on the Marine Corps base in 1996. Quantico is George Mason's only off-site location for athletic training and conditioning electives for degree credit. Military personnel from all branches and civilians can be eligible to enroll in programs for a bachelor's, master's or bachelor of individualized study degree. Many courses are designed to teach diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, so servicemen and women can better tend to injuries sustained in field training rather than having to go to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Since a sports medicine facility was established on base, studies by the Marine Corps have shown a decrease in sick calls among military personnel as a result of injuries from training maneuvers. There is a greater willingness to have injuries treated at the sports medicine center on base rather than seeking traditional medical assistance or ignoring treatment altogether.

According to a 1997 study provided by Commander Craig Bischoff, program director for the Marine Corps at Quantico, creating a sports medicine facility treats a Marine like an athlete rather than a patient. This scenario erases a stigma among the military about sick calls, where some fear that a number of trips to the hospital for injury treatment will look bad on their career record.

Two informational surveys of Marine trainees at Quantico show 70-75 percent had injuries for which they did not seek medical help. Since most of these Marines had participated in high school or college athletics and were familiar with seeing an athletic trainer or team doctor for sports-related injuries, a pilot sports medicine program was created that exchanged the concept of a sick call with sports medicine and athletic training.

The program features an in-house training room similar to that of a university, with flexible hours, experienced trainers and on-site sports medicine, athletic training and physical therapy. Results showed that Marines used the athletic training facility 200 percent more often than the sick call system. The study concluded that without a stigma attached to treatment, injuries could be rehabilitated promptly.

In addition to benefiting Marines with injury treatment, the sports medicine/athletic training facility gives all students (military and civilian) in the health, fitness and recreation program on-site training opportunities. Classes are held at the Semper Fit Center on base.

Summer semester enrollment is ongoing until May 28. Enlisted personnel can use tuition assistance from the military for 75 percent of the program costs. Beginning June 1, the George Mason University office at Quantico will be located in Diamond Hall, the Marine Corps base educational building. For program information contact J.C. Morris at (703) 784-2362.

Media Contact:
Karen Louden Allanach, (703) 993-8781, kallanac@gmu.edu

5-14-99

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