Dr. Cayce Onks Named Medical Director for Master of Athletic Training Program

Collaboration with Penn State Health to Provide High Quality Education and Research Experiences

Annville, PA (01/19/2018) — Lebanon Valley College is pleased to announce that Dr. Cayce Onks, D.O., M.S., ATC, will serve as medical director for the Master of Athletic Training Program. In this role, Dr. Onks will collaborate with the program faculty in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the program's curriculum for the required coursework.

Dr. Onks, who currently serves as the team physician for the College's athletic program, will coordinate an inter-professional learning experience that brings learners from the Penn State School of Medicine and students from LVC's athletic training and exercise science programs together to treat LVC student-athletes.

"The collaboration between LVC and Penn State Health gives students and faculty from both institutions a unique opportunity to work together to improve healthcare education and make a positive impact on the communities we serve," said Dr. Joseph Murphy, ATC, LAT, chair of the LVC Athletic Training Department.

"Dr. Onks' background as an athletic trainer will be an invaluable resource to our program. He has a passion for the athletic training profession and teaching future healthcare professionals," added Dr. Murphy.

This new partnership will help meet the goals for both institutions to provide high quality education and research. Students will benefit from shared education and research experiences.

"Our students will have a unique opportunity to learn in a multi-disciplinary education environment that will be innovative and will set our training programs apart from others nationally," said Dr. Onks, who is also the team physician for the Hershey Bears Hockey Club and Lebanon High School.

Dr. Onks started his career in sports medicine as a certified athletic trainer following graduation from The University of Tennessee with a degree in exercise science and master's degree in athletic training from Ohio University. Dr. Onks graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). He completed an osteopathic internship through PCOM and the Crozer-Keystone Health System in Philadelphia and a Family Medicine residency program at the Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, N.C. He then completed his Sports Medicine Fellowship training at Penn State University in State College.

"I am very excited to serve as medical director for the Lebanon Valley College Athletic Training Program," said Dr. Onks. "This position was of particular interest to me as I worked as an athletic trainer for four years after receiving my master's degree and prior to attending medical school. I am very proud of the education that athletic trainers receive and service that they provide.

This opportunity will enable me to take part in building a nationally recognized athletic training education program and developing high quality health care providers right here at The Valley," he added.

About Penn State College of Medicine

Enrolling its first students in 1967, Penn State College of Medicine confers the doctor of medicine degree and, in conjunction with the University's Graduate School, offers doctor of philosophy degrees in anatomy, bioengineering, biomedical sciences, biostatistics, immunology and infectious diseases, bioinformatics and genomics, molecular medicine, molecular toxicology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and physiology. The college also offers a master of public health and master of science degrees in laboratory animal medicine, public health sciences, and homeland security. In total, the College of Medicine has more than 1,700 students and trainees in medicine, nursing, the health professions, and biomedical research on its campus.

Located on the campus of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa., and with a regional campus located in State College, Pa., the College of Medicine boasts a portfolio of nearly $110 million in funded research. Projects range from development of artificial organs and advanced diagnostics to groundbreaking cancer treatments and understanding the fundamental causes of disease.

About Penn State Health

Penn State Health is a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across central Pennsylvania.

The system includes Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading, Pa., Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Children's Hospital, Penn State Cancer Institute, and Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital (jointly owned), based in Hershey, Pa., as well as more than 1,400 physicians and direct care providers at 103 medical office locations. The system also has jointly owned health care providers, including Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center, Hershey Endoscopy Center, Horizon Home Healthcare, and the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute.

Penn State Health shares an integrated strategic plan and operations with Penn State College of Medicine, the University's medical school.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 41 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, science in STEM education, and speech-language pathology.

The College has 1,624 full-time undergraduate students and 118 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 95 clubs and organizations, and 19 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement.

Annville is 15 minutes east of Hershey and 35 minutes east of Harrisburg; Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore are within two hours. Learn more at www.lvc.edu.

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