The FAA Academy, located in Oklahoma City, trains those who pass the test for 12 weeks in the fundamentals of being an air traffic controller. Coursework includes FAA regulations, the airway system, how various aircraft perform and the use of equipment on the job. Those who graduated from the AT-CTI program can bypass the first 5 weeks of the Academy. FAA Academy graduates are assigned to a facility where they work as "developmental controllers" under the supervision of experienced air traffic controllers. New controllers can expect to be certified within 2 to 4 years, depending on their performance and the availability of the facility staff to train them, while controllers with previous experience usually take less time to earn FAA certification. Once certified, you're subject to semiannual reviews of your performance. This is standard for any serious career. That six figure salary the BLS boasts isn't easy to come by. You'll need to work your way up the totem pole to find one of those. You're gonna be doing some pretty cool stuff. Without you, those souls flying through the air would be up a creek without a paddle. While your job is really cool, it's also intense. You have to focus the entire time you're on the job. That's 8 hours of constant concentration. This job, while not physically exhausting, can be very mentally exhausting. It's not your average desk job. Airports run pretty much 24/7, so there's always things to be done. If you're a stickler for rest and relaxation, this isn't the career for you. Because of how planes are scheduled, you won't have consistent day, afternoon, or night shifts. If Ron works all the mornings and Sue works all the nights, Ron's constantly landing 3,429 planes at a time while Sue gets to read a book while she waits for United Flight 101 to come in. Tuesday you'll work in the morning and Wednesday you'll work graveyard to keep it balanced. In short, stay awake. Actually, ATCs falling asleep on the job is actually becoming a problem. As a result, they can no longer work alone during night shifts. However, scheduling is staying the same (it's only fair) and the shifts are, too (generally 8 hours long). If you have a family, this can put a serious damper on your bonding. You will be presented with a number of stressful situations. If nothing else, you'll be asked to do a 258 things at once. It's important that you keep a level head and don't freak out. You've been trained. You know what to do. Everything will be fine. If you remember to breathe, you'll be better off. Think of your training, what your superior would do, and handle the moment. It'll be over before you know it. When the rush hour ends, you can sit back with your coffee, start a conversation with the interesting ex-military guy you've been working with for a few months now, and take in how incredible your job is. Kudos! The stresses of being an air traffic controller are innumerable. If something goes wrong, you may end up blaming yourself and, beating around the bush aside, losing it. It's easy to get shaken, especially in the beginning. It's imperative that you understand that this career choice is the very definition of demanding. Sure, busier airports will require more of you, but every position (regardless of its location) will deprive you of sleep, demand ultimate concentration, and can be potentially quite jarring. Got it? They never said it'd be easy; they said it'd be worth it, right? This is a very, very respectable job -- it's simply important to know the benefits and drawbacks going in. When you go in with a level head, you're more likely to succeed.
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One-sentence summary -- Attend and graduate from the FAA Academy. Become certified as an air traffic controller. Start saving lives. Stay awake. Stay calm. Stay sane.

While you may be able to use this article as a guide to help you figure out if you are injured, you still must go to the doctor to get a professional diagnosis. It would be bad to think that you are ok, only to put pressure on your knee and injure it further. Schedule an appointment for as soon as possible after the injury. If you can, you may also go to the hospital to deal with the injury right away. When your ACL gets injured, it is referred to as a sprain rather than a broken bone because it is a ligament (though it can feel as painful as breaking a bone). The term 'sprain' refers to more than just the stretching of the ligament, it is actually the classification the is used to refer to ligament injuries. There are three levels of ACL injury. A grade 1 ACL sprain involves mild injury to the ligament. It has been slightly stretched but not torn. It can still sustain the knee joint and will help the leg remain stable. A grade 2 ACL sprain is when the ligament is stretched beyond its capacity to the point it becomes loose. This is when the technical term "partial tear of the ACL" is used. A grade 3 ACL sprain makes the knee joint unstable and the ligament is completely torn apart. You must have a doctor do this testdo not try it yourself. This is the preferred test for figuring out if you have a partial ACL tear because it can show that you have a partial tear even when the rest of the ligaments and tendons in your knee are uninjured. A doctor will: Have you lie down on a table. Your doctor will first look at your uninjured knee to see how far your shin moves forward when your knee is bent. Your ACL keeps your shin from moving very far forward. Your doctor will then look at your injured knee and see how far your shin moves forward when the knee is bent. If it moves forward further than normal but your doctor can still feel resistance, it means that you have a partial tear. If there is no resistance, your ACL has been fully torn. This test is meant to determine how much pressure can be put on your injured knee before it becomes unstable. Your doctor will move your injured leg a little ways away from your body (this is called hip abduction). She will then: Straighten your leg while simultaneously press inward against the outer part of your knee and twist your leg outward. Doing this will show how well your ACL is functioning because it is a movement that only involves the ACL. Your leg will be slowly bent while continuous pressure is put on it. When your knee is bent at a 20 to 40 angle, your doctor will look at your shin bone. If the bone slides forward a bit it means that your ACL has been partially torn. While the ACL cannot be seen through an x-ray, your doctor can look for other evidence that you ACL has been partially torn. An x-ray of both knees is necessary to detect signs of injury such as fracture, improper alignment of the bony structures, and narrowing of the spaces between joints. All three of these injuries are associated with a partial ACL tear. Unlike an x-ray, an MRI will help your doctor to examine your soft tissue structures in your knee, including your ACL. Your doctor will also look at your meniscus and other knee ligaments to make sure that they are not injured. Your doctor might also request an oblique coronal image if he or she is still not sure about the extent of your injury. This image will give the doctor a better view of your knee in addition to the MRI.
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One-sentence summary --
Go to a doctor if you notice any of the symptoms listed in this article. Be aware that there are three grades of ACL injury. Have a doctor perform the Lachman test. Be prepared for the Pivot Shift test. Have an x-ray taken of your knee. Know that an MRI might need to be done.