Jess Tidswell portrait
  • Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist, Athletics
  • Associate Professor (Clinical), Physical Therapy & Athletic Training
801-581-7494

Current Courses

Spring 2025

  • ATSM 6030-001
    Eval & Rehab Spine
  • ATSM 6220-001
    Behavior Health Considr
  • ATSM 6830-090
    Adaptive Athlete in AT
    Location: ONLN (Online)

Fall 2024

Professional Organizations

  • National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. 10/01/2020 - present. Position : Member.
  • Health Policy and Administration Section - APTA. 03/20/2020 - present. Position : Member.
  • National Athletic Trainers' Association. 11/2006 - present. Position : Member.
  • Utah Athletic Trainer's Association. 11/2006 - present. Position : Member.
  • Utah Physical Therapy Association - APTA. 08/2004 - present. Position : Member.
  • Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy - APTA. 08/01/2004 - present. Position : Member.
  • American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy - APTA. 08/01/2004 - present. Position : Member.
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association. 03/2002 - present. Position : Member.
  • American Physical Therapy Association. 08/1999 - present. Position : Member.

Practice History

  • Attended the Annual Teaching Symposium. 08/2022 - present .
    https://cte.utah.edu/events/ats/
  • Emergency Medical Technician Recertification . 02/23/2022 - present .
    https://emslicense.utah.gov/lms/public/account/
  • Highlights of the CEU courses attended during 2022: Utah Athletic Trainers' Association Winter Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposium (2 hours) - December 2022 Orthopedic Excellence of the Lower Quarter - Medbridge Education (18.25 hours) June 2022 Interdisciplinary Integration - Postural Restoration Institute (12.25 hours) April 2022 University of Utah Women's Leadership Day: Leading as Your Authentic Self A complete list is available upon request . 01/01/2022 - present .
  • Utah Emergency Medical Technician State Licensure. 10/01/2019 - present .
  • Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Level I certified Functional Movement Systems. 05/31/2019 - present .
  • Functional Capacity Screen, Level I Certified Functional Movement Systems. 05/24/2019 - present .
  • Basic Life Support (CPR and AED) American Heart Association. 03/01/2019 - present .
  • Performance Exercise Specialist (PES) National Academy of Sports Medicine. 08/17/2018 - present .
  • Postural Restoration Trained (PRT) Postural Restoration Institute, Lincoln NE. 01/26/2018 - present .
    https://www.posturalrestoration.com/find-provider/...
  • Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) Functional Movement Systems. 01/19/2018 - present .
  • Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) National Academy of Sports Medicine. 09/29/2017 - present .
  • Eccles Athletic Training Room, Sorenson High Performance Center, HPER W I currently on campus as an Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist assisting the Olympic Sports teams with the Utah Athletics Department. 07/01/2015 - present .
    https://utahutes.com/staff.aspx?staff=538
  • Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) National Strength and Conditioning Association. 05/16/2014 - present .
  • Board-certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy. 03/01/2013 - present .
  • Certified Graston Technique Provider . 11/18/2011 - present .
  • Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP). 11/18/2011 - present .
  • International Level II Alpine Skiing Classifier International Paralympic Committee. 12/18/2009 - present .
  • National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification. 03/01/2009 - present .
  • Utah Athletic Trainer Licensure. 03/01/2009 - present .
    https://secure.utah.gov/llv/search/detail.html?ind...
  • Utah Physical Therapy State Licensure. 05/01/2002 - present .
    https://secure.utah.gov/llv/search/detail.html?ind...
  • Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) National Strength and Conditioning Association. 02/15/2002 - present .

Teaching Philosophy

I am proud and honored to be my students’ adventure guide.  I tell my students the Athletic Training Program should be viewed as an adventure race.  Some days will be extremely challenging and they may find themselves atop a cliff with no immediately apparent route to the bottom and others may seem like they are rafting on gently flowing river ahead of the other teams. With my guidance and support, and working as a team along with their classmates, they will get through any leg of the race.

 

I became a teacher because I had several extraordinary teachers.  When I think about what it means to be a teacher, I think about these teachers and try to emulate them.  To two specific teachers I want to emulate were from high school and my first undergraduate degree.  Where these two educators exceled was not necessarily content delivery, it was their passion for education and student success.  They both supported their students unconditionally, they saw each student as an individual and found ways to get through to them, support them, and motivate them.  That is what I try to do. 

 

Learning occurs in many different ways.  I send a survey to my students before the start of classes to ask them about their learning styles and learning preferences.  I review the surveys and incorporate as many of the learning styles and preferences into the course as I can. These are the different stages of our adventure race.  Some may prefer an obstacle course and some may like orienteering, but if I include an assortment of “stages” or teaching and learning techniques, everyone can learn and grow and grasp the concepts.  Technology now plays a large role in both education and learning.  I try to use technology to enhance the material I give to my students without overloading them.  We all know that the students would rather use their phones than a paper map.

 

I am privileged to teach in a closed program with a small cohort size.  I know my students’ names by the second day of class.  I get to know each and every student in our program and in my classes; where they are from, what they like to do, what their kids’/pets’ names are, and what is going on in their lives.  It is my goal to make a difference in their lives as my teachers made in mine; to serve as a mentor, a role model, and an adventure guide.  I provide a compass, a fire-starter, a life raft, and/or a high five at the finish line.  I am a member of their team.

 

I hold myself to high standards. I model professionalism and strong ethical values.  I hold my students to high standards as well.  I challenge my students to not only learn the content during the class but to understand that the material will be used for the rest of their careers.  I guide them in understanding that learning the material is not just about the grade they receive, but about really grasping and conceptualizing it and being able to apply and use it. I am there to boost them up over that high wall and then to help them stop and take in the view when they reach the peak.

 

I have a quote written down in my office that states, “the measure of a good educator is if their students are better than themselves”, I strive to make this a reality.  I have been working as a clinician in my field for many years and I share my enthusiasm and passion for the field of athletic training with my students each and every day.  Because I continue to practice, I can intertwine stories about things I have seen into the lessons to make things more applicable to real-life scenarios.  However, I try to ensure that I do this only periodically, because I believe that my classes are about the students and their learning, not about me and what I have done. I want to see the medals on their chests and the dirt on their shoes and hear about how they got there.

 

I support my students first as people and second as students.  My goals for them are to live happy and fulfilling lives and to become the best athletic trainers they can be.  In order to get there, I teach them the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully graduate and continue beyond that to help them learn to work as a team, to collaborate, to share thoughts and ideas with one another, and with their communities.  We work on professional and interpersonal interaction, critical thinking, and problem analysis. We work as a team and as individuals.

 

I currently teach in two content areas; Orthopedic Examination and Rehabilitation and Behavioral Health. For each of these areas, the classes are set up differently based on what the students are learning.  For the Orthopedic classes, we spend a lot of our time doing hands-on learning in laboratory-based skills sessions.  These skills sessions allow the students both the time and the practice to become comfortable, competent, and confident with the techniques.  It is the hands-on skills sessions that the students like the best and typically want more of.  The students often work through scenarios and/or case presentations in groups, or as a class, to evaluate someone or create a rehabilitation plan in real-time.  These sessions not only foster collaboration and teamwork, but they allow the students to apply their knowledge to a real case, critically think, and problem solve in creative ways with real-world examples.  These sessions prepare them for the rapids ahead, getting lost in the woods and working as a team the ford a river.

 

In the Behavioral Health course, I use a flipped classroom design so that the students review the material ahead of time and then our in-class sessions are discussion-based.  In this course, each cohort creates their own community brave space rules that everyone agrees to follow, including me.  What is said in the classroom always stays in the classroom and the candor of others is treated as a gift.  We have some very powerful discussions about a wide-range of psychosocial topics.  I serve as the facilitator and the students run the discussions after being cued.  Each student has a chance to share each session and can share as much or as little as they feel comfortable sharing.  Our discussions offer the students a chance to interact with the material they are learning and to apply it to examples of what they have seen in their clinical experiences or their lives.  Our discussions allow the students to practice active listening, being present, public speaking, and relating to others. They will have great stories to share around the campfire.

 

When I became a member of the faculty after functioning solely as a clinician for many years, I needed to learn more about teaching.  I embarked on a personal journey to find resources to assist me.  I dove into learning about generational differences, new ways to teach and learn, different learning styles, how different personality traits afford different learning and studying habits and how cultural, ethnic, and personal diversity, adversity and challenges differ among students.  I changed and updated my courses with each course I took.  I incorporated more active learning and a variety of ways the students could digest the material without just listening to live lectures and reading textbooks.  I become fascinated with learning more about teaching and I continue to do so. I set out on my own adventure race and without a partner or a map and found my way back to the trail enlightened.

 

I have found the most success in my classroom by talking to my students about what is working and what is not.  By giving them to opportunity to provide feedback, more often than at the end of the term, it allows me to tailor each class to the needs of the students in real-time.  I have recorded all of my lectures so that if a student wants to listen in class, they can take notes later.  I have learned how to make videos of hands-on content and found videos created by others that demonstrate content.  I have learned that giving up control and facilitating rather that actively teaching is perhaps one of the best things I can do to allow learning to occur.  Creating effective lesson plans from the beginning allows me to give up the control I thought I needed to have.  There are days where I leave the compass, map and directions at home and we often have the best classes of the semester.  Finally, from the feedback of our students, alumni, and my peers and supervisors, I know that I am truly making a difference. 

Courses I Teach

  • ATSM 6000 - Introduction to Clinical Exam and Rehab
    This course will provide students foundational knowledge to injury prevention, clinical examination and diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies. Students will learn about and use various tests and measures to evaluate a patient’s status. Students will learn how to develop a plan of care using techniques and interventions commonly practiced in athletic training.
  • ATSM 6010 - Evaluation & Rehab LE
    This course will introduce students to the prevention, examination, and rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries and other sports-related conditions. In particular, using knowledge of anatomy and physiology, this course will cover the foot, ankle, knee, and thigh regions.
  • ATSM 6030 - Evaluation and Rehab of the Spine, Hip and Pelvis
    This course will introduce students to the prevention, examination and rehabilitation of head, spine, hip and pelvic injuries and other sports-related conditions. In particular, using knowledge of anatomy and physiology, this course will cover the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine regions, the hip and pelvis.
  • ATSM 6220 - Behavioral Health Considerations
    This course will focus on referral, recognition, and management of psychological conditions or states that will affect clients/athletes and the athletic training in the athletic training setting.
  • ATSM 6830 - Adaptive Athlete in AT
    This course will explore common diagnoses and impairments of athletes who compete in adaptive sports through organizations including, but not limited, to the Paralympics, the Special Olympics, the Deaf Olympics, and other worldwide organizations. Students will learn about working with adaptive athletes and the similarities and differences between special populations and their able-bodied counterparts.

Current Students

  • Sarah Miller, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Jordan Hines, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.
  • Lindsey Lunt, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.
  • Averi Stover, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.

Former Students

  • Courtney Hook, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.
  • Paula Garcia, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.
  • Alexandra Shumway, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Chair.
  • Christopher Michaels, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Eric Raustein, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • McKenna Boothe, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Vitor Gabriel Carioca, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Jessie Smith, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Hannah Zech, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Kelsey Mirehouse, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Julia Villani, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Chelsea Ashton, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Dillon Hyland, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Travis Nolan, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Lisa Anthony, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Chelsea Ashton, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Lisa Anthony, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Travis Nolan, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Dillon Hyland, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Thesis. Role: Member.
  • Ryan Dix, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Tyler Johnson, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Ryan Dix, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.
  • Tyler Johnson, Master of Science (M.S.), Project Type: Project. Role: Member.