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.
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.
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