July 31, 2013

SLU AT Student Gets Two Different Summer Internship Experiences

My Two Summer Internships
By: Heather Koch (MAT Class of 2014)

This summer I split my internship between two amazing opportunities. I worked with a sports medicine specialist at Advanced Bone and Joint and worked with SLU faculty member and business owner Lori Khazen of Khazen Athletikare.

Advanced Bone and Joint 

Advanced Bone and Joint, an orthopedic care center, is located in St. Peters, Missouri. Advanced Bone and Joint is formerly known as St. Peters Bone and Joint and their name is not the only thing they are changing. While I was there for the summer they were constantly doing construction to add onto their practice and hiring a new doctor to oversee the large influx of patients. I was so excited to be a part of this growth and change. Over the course of my 2 month internship I was able to explore the position of a physician extender. I worked with various PRORehab Athletic Trainers as well as Dr. Brandon Larkin, a non-surgical sports medicine doctor. At Advanced Bone and Joint, everyday was jam packed with patients and their various injuries. On any given day we would see anywhere from 15 to 25 patients.

SLU AT Student Heather Koch with Dr. Brandon Larkin.
While working with Dr. Larkin I was able to perfect my evaluation techniques and get more experience with imaging. He also taught me some new tricks of his own. In addition to evaluating patients I was also able to assist in brace fitting, casting, splinting, and home exercise program instruction. I cannot wait to begin my last year in the Athletic Training Program with my new skills and knowledge.

Dr. Larkin and his team of staff were such a pleasure to work with and be influenced by. He leads by example and truly cares for each and every one of his patients. Each visit is catered to the patient and their lifestyle demands. He took every measure to help a patient get back to living the life they desire. As with his patients, he also made sure I was challenged and got the unique experience I desired. It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Larkin and the entire Advanced Bone and Joint team.

Khazen Athletikare

This summer, the other half of my time I spent with Lori Khazen ATC, an instructor in the AT Program at Saint Louis University and owner of Khazen Athletikare, LLC. Khazen Athletikare’s goal is injury prevention through athletic training event coverage, strength and conditioning programs for both teams and individuals, and educational programs. While interning with Lori I was able to participate in all aspects of her business. 

We started off the summer educating fellow Athletic Trainers at the MoATA convention at SLU. We demonstrated various exercises to correct muscle imbalance and presented why and how these exercises would be beneficial. I was instantly thrown into the presentation to help demo and assist attendees of the conference in their performance of these exercises.

SLU AT Student Heather Koch with preceptor Lori Khazen ATC.
After the conference, I started working with Lori at MICDS, a private school in Ladue, in lacrosse league coverage. Lacrosse teams from all over the St. Louis area participated two nights a week. I had never had the opportunity to cover lacrosse so this was a new experience for me. We treated parents, children, and athletes at the games on any given night. Injuries ranged from cuts and scrapes to contusions and sprains. I enjoyed being able to incorporate traditional athletic training coverage of a new sport for me into my internship for the summer.

In addition to the traditional athletic training role and educational presentation, I also participated in strength and conditioning sessions of both athletes and the general population twice a week. We started most mornings with 4 college bound lacrosse players from CBC at Shaw Park. Their training regimen consisted of preparation for their future lacrosse careers at various universities across the country. Two new moms followed in the next session and their program couldn’t have been more different. We also worked with a young CBC lacrosse player hoping to gain strength and a new dad hoping to slim down and improve his eating habits. I soaked up every minute of the strength and conditioning sessions because it was something I had never been exposed to before. Lori had me become as involved as possible from the beginning. I assisted with warm up and cool down and eventually started planning the exercise program for the day.

The experience and feedback I received from Lori will help me through all of my coursework this last year as well as into my professional career. I learned a lot about time management with Lori who is juggling a family and a prospering business. I envy her knowledge and expertise and cannot wait to take her course in the spring. I am so appreciative of my experience with Khazen Athletikare and thankful for the knowledge and insight I gained throughout the summer. 

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

July 30, 2013

SLU AT Student Experiences a Summer in the Big Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals


St. Louis Cardinals Summer Internship
By: Kelley DeGreeff (MAT Class of 2014)

MY SUMMER IN THE BIG LEAGUES

This summer I was fortunate enough to get an internship with the St. Louis Cardinals under the guidance of Greg Hauck, Chris Conroy, and Adam Olsen, all certified athletic trainers. Through June and July, I spent home games at Busch Stadium helping with pre-game responsibilities and experiencing what goes into preparing athletes to be game ready.

Each day started 6 hours before game time. Myself and the other intern, Ryne Eubanks of University of Arkansas, would prepare whirlpools, make hydration drinks, stock supplies, and make sure everything was ready for the players. Once the busy work was finished up, we were able to observe the ins and outs of day-to-day maintenance for a baseball player.

Chris Conroy ATC, AT intern Ryne Eubanks, Adam Olsen ATC, SLU AT Student Kelley DeGreeff and  Greg Hauck ATC
I don’t know if the questions I asked ever annoyed the guys, but they were troopers as I relentlessly questioned every exercise, stretch, manual technique, and modality they used. They were always willing to share why they chose what they did compared with something else, along with what the purpose of each intervention was. I was able to learn so much from watching their techniques, and to refine my own skills as I practiced on anyone who was willing to be my subject.

Getting a chance to learn in this environment surpasses all classroom learning. Yes, we need the classroom to learn principles, but seeing it used in this setting really helped me grasp why athletic trainers work so hard and so many hours to do what they do. I can now appreciate these principles in practice. Observing these athletes maintain or improve their performance over the course of 2 months is proof enough. Having the satisfaction of knowing you helped with that process is what drives me to this career.

Coming in as a woman into this man’s world was scary. However, my anxieties vanished as soon as I arrived. The athletic trainers, coaches, players, medical staff, and clubhouse guys made me feel right at home. This opportunity has helped open my eyes to the millions of things I can do and to remember that my gender is not a barrier in this profession. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people who have shown support for me and hopefully for students to come.

Thanks to everyone who made this internship possible!

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU AT Student Gets Experience "Behind the scenes at your doctor’s office" in Summer Internship


The Orthopedic Center of St. Louis Summer Internship
By: Emily Grace (MAT Class of 2014) and Kevin Templin OPA-C, ATC

This summer I spent 12 weeks at The Orthopedic Center of St. Louis in Chesterfield, MO as an athletic training intern under Dr. Mark D. Miller, sports medicine specialist, and his first assistant and certified athletic trainer Kevin Templin.

SLU AT Student Emily Grace and Kevin Templin OPA-C, ATC
Dr. Miller’s orthopedic practice focuses on the treatment of injuries specific to the shoulder and knee. During my time with him and his team I was able to observe arthroscopic surgeries in the treatment of ACL reconstruction, labral repairs, rotator cuff repairs, shoulder reconstruction, shoulder arthroscopy, knee arthroscopy, cartilage restoration procedures, and frozen shoulder manipulations. Observing these surgical procedures has provided me with a better understanding of orthopedic anatomy, why the patient is experiencing discomfort, and what rehabilitation is needed to allow a patient to return to their optimal level of functioning. As a future athletic trainer, I can draw from these experiences to make me a more compassionate and well-rounded practitioner.

As an athletic training intern, I learned how effective my skills could be in assisting Dr. Miller and his staff “behind the scenes.” A large part of my responsibility was to make sure an athlete or patient’s visit occurred seamlessly and pleasantly. Calling back the patient, obtaining a medical history, finding out their story, ordering imagining, and briefing the doctor all take place before the patient has any interaction with the physician. Kevin commonly referred to us as “Dr. Miller’s opening act,” which always put a smile on a patient’s face and helped ease their nerves about their visit. During clinical examinations I documented pertinent notes, prepared injections, and assisted with home exercise programs as directed by Dr. Miller. Outside the patient’s room I wrote and updated physical therapy and patient medications scripts for the physician to sign, communicated with his Work Compensation coordinator and Medical Assistant, and entered coding to bill for office and surgical procedures. I recognize the value of these responsibilities and enjoyed acting as the communication link between the patients and staff.


This summer has provided me with a unique experience of how my skills can be applied in a clinical setting. I am thankful to Dr. Miller, Kevin, and the rest of the staff at TOC for their kindness, patience, and willingness to help me learn. I am excited to use the principles and techniques I have learned in my final year as an athletic training student and in my future professional career.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU AT Student Gets Valuable Baseball Experience with the River City Rascals


River City Rascals (Frontier League) Summer Internship
By: Jay Maturan - MAT Class of 2014

My internship this summer is with the River City Rascals. The Rascals are an independent, professional baseball team and a member of the West Division of the Frontier League who competes other teams primarily from the Midwest. The team is based at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri and it is 35 miles west of downtown St. Louis. From the 1999 season to the present, the River City Rascals have player their home games at T.R. Hughes Ballpark. The team has won two League tittles (1993, 2010) and five Division tittles (1993, 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011).

Mike McNulty, ATC and SLU AT Student Jay Maturan
My preceptor was the Rascals athletic trainer, Mike McNulty. I spent my summer learning rehabilitation techniques, evaluation process, treatment, assessment, and prevention process. This is Mike's first year with the Rascals as he serves as the graduate assistant athletic trainer in University of Kentucky for two years with exposure to men's soccer, track and field and football. Mike has three-intern student this year and each intern has to pick numbers of home games for the season. Every home game of the regular season we provide medical treatment for the 25 man roster that includes pre-game treatment, supervising team stretching and warm up, and post-game treatment. Unfortunately, due to limited budget we do not travel with the team.

Athletic Training Room
The most challenging part working with the Rascals are the following: independent nature of the athlete, limited budget, limited resources and athletic training room space. However, Mike has been incredibly encouraging, supportive and a great leader.

River City Rascals Ballpark
Working with the River City Rascals has given me an insight as to how athletic training operate in a professional sports team. This summer provided me with a great educational and professional experience, was introduced to many new clinical experience and wealth of knowledge. To the River City Rascals Team and Excel Sports and Physical Therapy thank you for helping me achieve my goals and for being part of my journey as a future athletic trainer.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU AT Student Gets Experience with a Physician Extender

Blue Tail Medical Group Summer Internship
By: Tyler Wood (MAT Class of 2014)

This summer, I spent several weeks as an athletic training intern at the Blue Tail Medical Group in St. Louis, MO. Blue Tail Medical Group specializes in non-operative care of sports and orthopedic injuries, concussion care, and regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is an advanced field of orthopedic that uses biological treatments to help the body heal itself; Blue Tail Medical Group is the only group in the Midwest that do these type of procedures. In the group, there are four doctors but I worked under the expertise of Dr. Matthew Bayes. 

Dr. Matt Bayes, SLU AT Student Tyler Wood and Devon Lacy ATC
In addition to Dr. Bayes, I worked with his physician extender, Devon Lacy, ATC. Together, they taught me so much in regards to musculoskeletal injury and concussion assessment and treatment. While in the clinic, I saw a patient population ranging from youth athletes to professional athletes to 90-year-old patients. Everyday was new experience and I had to be ready for anything. My primary responsibility was to take patients’ vitals, prep injections, take histories, and perform initial injury evaluations. After Dr. Bayes would go into the room, perform his own evaluation, and then prescribe a treatment plan. 

This was truly a great experience because I saw injuries I have not seen before and got first-hand experience in forming treatment plans. Dr. Bayes and Devon pushed me outside my safety zone and introduced me to many great opportunities. I could not have asked for better people to learn from. I am excited to take what I learned from them applying the knowledge to my final year at Saint Louis University and eventually in my career.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

SLU AT Student Combines Softball and Sports Medicine in Summer Internship


Performance Health Care Summer Internship
By: Jessica Buschjost (MAT Class of 2014)

This summer I spent my time as an athletic training student intern at Performance Health Care in St. Louis, Missouri.  Performance Health Care is an integrated chiropractic and rehabilitation clinic.  I was able to work alongside Dr. Randi Davis and Dr. Wesley Duey, as they allowed me to observe and learn varied treatment, manual therapy, rehabilitation, and performance training techniques

The summer started with most of my time observing in the clinic as Dr. Duey and I were both new to Performance Health Care.  During clinic hours I helped with patient evaluations, treatments, and rehabilitation.  Performance Health Care is conveniently located in the St. Louis Fastpitch and Baseball Academy, and for my other passion I spent hours working in the training facility learning throwing and hitting biomechanics.  Dr. Davis and I would spend most evening hours working with pitchers as we broke their pitching mechanics down using the force plate and other tools to efficiently maximize the outcome of performance.  

SLU AT Student Jessica Buschjost with Dr. Randi Davis.
I was given an extraordinary opportunity during my time at Performance Health Care when I was allowed to work on research that Dr. Davis was completing.  I spent a couple weekends of my summer alongside residents from Washington University collecting data concerning scapular movement patterns, range of motion, and shoulder fatigue before and after games thrown.  Working with the athletes and residents in such a professional and different aspect than what I would normally do in the clinic was an amazing experience.  The research study has been completed and is waiting to be published by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, which is just totally awesome!

My preceptor, Dr. Randi Davis, was a fantastic person to work with. She has endless amounts of knowledge in the field, experience and resources.  Working in a clinic was a different task than the clinical experience that we as students are given the chance to be a part of during the school year, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my summer any other way.  I was surrounded by amazing professionals, patients, athletes, parents, and coaches and I am very honored to say that I was a part of Performance Health Care. I cannot wait to use the techniques and skills that I acquired this summer as I begin my last year at Saint Louis University before becoming a future certified athletic trainer.  

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

July 20, 2013

SLU AT Student Has a Rich and Varied Internship Experience with AthletiCo in Chicago


AthletiCo Summer Internship
By: Kelly Peck - MAT Class of 2014

This summer I spent 8 weeks as an athletic training intern for AthletiCo in Chicago, Illinois. AthletiCo provides physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, and other fitness services to Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Under the guidance of Certified Athletic Trainer, Tony McCormick ATC, I spent my summer learning rehabilitation techniques and work conditioning rehab in the Oak Park and Berwyn clinics and gained athletic training field experience at Fenwick High School in Oak Park.

SLU AT Student Kelly Peck with preceptor Tony McCormick ATC
The summer started as the Fenwick Friars wrapped up their spring sports, and summer football camps began. My morning hours were spent in the clinic as I assisted with initial evaluations, injury screens, and patient rehabilitation. On Wednesdays I worked in the Berwyn clinic with workman’s compensation patients, with a primarily Hispanic population. This was a great experience of learning cultural diversity and working with non-athletic injury patients. Many afternoons Tony would have something new planned for me; doctor’s office visits, sports medicine conferences, football camps, and visits to various athletic training settings. I was fortunate to see performing arts injury clinics, the sports medicine headquarters of the US Soccer Federation, a combine for US Figure Skating, and the National Athletic Trainers' Association Convention in Las Vegas.


My preceptor, Tony McCormick is a fantastic athletic trainer with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources. I was constantly pushed to jump right into the task at hand and introduced to many new experiences and sports medicine professionals. Along with the staff at both the Oak Park and Berwyn clinics, I could not have wished for better individuals to work with. This summer provided me with a great educational and professional experience with the city of Chicago in the background. I cannot wait to continue to use these learned skills and techniques in my final year with Saint Louis University’s Athletic Training Program, and eventually in my career as a certified athletic trainer. 

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.

July 15, 2013

SLU AT Student Has Summer Internship With Philadelphia Flyers



Philadelphia Flyers’ Summer Internship
By Andrea Auclair- MAT Class of 2014

This summer, I interned with the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers.  Under the guidance of Flyers’ head athletic trainer, Jimmy McCrossin, I spent a week learning the ins and outs of athletic training at the professional hockey level while helping to provide athletic training services for the Flyers’ annual prospect camp at the Wells Fargo Center and Flyers Skate Zone.

Philadelphia Flyers Athletic Trainer Jimmy McCrossin ATC with SLU AT Student Andrea Auclair.
Everyday started at 7am as I walked into an ice-cold hockey rink from a humid ninety-degree morning. There was never a slow moment to the morning as players and coaches came into our makeshift athletic training room, while the main facility was under renovation, to get help with medical issues ranging from the daily aches and pains of hockey to the more serious post-operative rehabilitation.


Each day brought a new experience to be learned from. Whether it was preparticipation medical evaluations or helping with a rehabilitation protocol for an athlete one day out of a meniscal repair, there was always something new for me to learn. One of the best parts of interning with the Flyers’ athletic training staff, comprised of head athletic trainer, Jimmy, assistant athletic trainer Sal Raffa, and minor league affiliate Phantom’s head athletic trainer Greg Lowden, was the ability to constantly learn. Whether it was in the fitness center prescribing rehab exercises, in the athletic training room using therapeutic modalities, or sitting on the Flyers’ bench, each moment was filled with questions from me as well as explanations from athletic training staff on all facets of hockey and athletic training.

One of my favorite experiences with the Flyers was not on the ice, but rather out in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, where the Flyers held their annual “Trial on the Isle” for prospects. The day was comprised of athletes going for a mile and a half run on the beach followed by running back as teams of four carrying a thirty foot rope in which two athletes wore blacked out goggles and the other two wore earplugs. Every two blocks along the way, a different physical or mental challenge was given to the teams in order to test their bodies, minds, and more importantly their ability to work as a team. The day concluded with a round robin volleyball tournament where members of the community took on Flyers’ players.

Although I am a Blackhawks fan, I will forever hold a place in my heart for the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization. From the athletes to the coaching staff, I couldn’t be more grateful to work with a fantastic group of guys. An even larger thank you goes out Jimmy, Sal, and Greg who taught me so much in a small amount of time that I will use in my career as an athletic training student and future athletic trainer.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.