SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University - Belleville

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their clinical instructor. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction is a major asset for the SLU AT education program.

Lindenwood University-Belleville

By: Derrick Neuner (MAT Class of 2013)

Home of the Lynx!

My approved clinical instructor is William Dill, Bill for short. He’s the Head Athletic Trainer at Lindenwood University – Belleville, as well as the engineer behind the university’s growing AT services. I can honestly say that I hope to count Bill as a close colleague for the rest of my professional career.

There are several things that impress me about Bill, but probably the most significant is his dedication to me as a student and learning professional. There isn’t a week that has passed where Bill hasn’t asked me about what I’m learning and then facilitated what I’m learning in lecture into my clinical experience. He has been a major asset in prepping for exams, integrating different ideas, techniques and models into my professional “tool box,” and pushing me to think outside the classic clinical model. With Bill, it’s always, why, and what else can we do, to treat the athlete.

William Dill ATC (right) instructs SLU AT student Derrick Neuner (right)

I’ve also learned a great deal about how to work effectively in challenging situations with athletes and coaches. Bill’s athletic training room is relaxed, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of dedication to his athletes. He is very serious about what he does. I have seen him work with coaches who question decisions in an extremely effective manner; he gets his point across firmly and with upmost professionalism.  Likewise, athletes have a responsibility to care for themselves, too, and Bill makes that quite plain. Sure, there’s an athletic training staff there to guide the care, but it takes two to tango.

As students we don't give official grades to our clinical instructors, but if I could, I would grade Bill with an A+. I’m his first student in the clinical education setting, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience. Bill has become a great mentor and friend, and come December, I’m going to miss working with him everyday.