Program Background
Rady Children’s Hospital Athletic Training Residency Program is a 12-month post-professional educational program for certified athletic trainers within the orthopedics department at Rady Children’s Hospital. The program was created to provide advanced preparation for athletic trainers through a clinical and didactic educational program that specializes in pediatric orthopedics. The residency is housed within the physician practice setting as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Rady Children’s Hospital is currently seeking accreditation for our new Athletic Training Residency program and is not yet accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The program is undergoing a comprehensive programmatic review as part of the accreditation process, which began with submitting a self-study on July 1, 2025.
Residency Program Mission Statement
To produce expert athletic trainers who can manage medical conditions commonly seen in pediatric/adolescent/young adult orthopedics.
Residency Program Vision
We aim to create an environment of continued learning for certified athletic trainers within the physician practice. Our goal is to develop leaders who can advance patient care and promote athletic trainers in the physician practice.
Residency Program Goals
- To advance the athletic trainer’s knowledge and clinical decision-making within the specialty area of pediatric orthopedics.
- To create leaders who advocate for athletic trainers in the physician practice setting.
- To contribute to the athletic training profession through research and teaching.
Well-Being and Work Hour Requirements
Residency Program Handbook
Click below to download our Athletic Training Residency Program Resident Handbook.
Contact Us
Athletic Training Residency Program Director
Sarah Gilleland Smith
3030 Children’s Way
San Diego, CA 92123
sgilleland@rchsd.org
Current Athletic Training Resident
Haley Ford, ATC
Haley is a board-certified athletic trainer with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from San Diego State University. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has since made San Diego her new home. Haley has dedicated her career to the prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation of injuries for athletes of all levels, from youth and collegiate competitors to professionals and recreational enthusiasts. She led the sports medicine program at Otay Ranch High School for eight years as the athletic trainer and sports medicine teacher. She collaborated in the development of college-articulated curriculum and also served as a preceptor for Point Loma Nazarene University athletic training students. She especially enjoyed mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. With support from the Southwest Sports Wellness Foundation in Chula Vista, she collaborated with physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, and athletic trainers providing care to underserved student athletes. These collaborations along with her desire to continue her education brought her to Rady Children’s Health and she is excited and deeply honored to serve as an Athletic Training Resident at one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals, where she continues to expand her skills and passion for pediatric care. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find Haley outdoors hiking or at the beach, staying active through yoga, workouts with friends, or time on the water, and finds balance with meditation and creative expression, like painting.