March 24, 2014

SLU AT Faculty Members and Students Have a Fun and Busy Month of Basketball

The Athletic Training Program at Saint Louis University partners with the Missouri Valley Conference to coordinate medical coverage to the basketball tournaments they host in March each year.  This year, this not only included their conference tournaments in St. Louis and St. Charles, it also included the NCAA Men's Basketball 2nd and 3rd Rounds at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.  This provides a great learning opportunity for our students, where they get a chance to administer a large event with multiple stakeholders.  Additionally it provides our students with networking opportunities with numerous future colleagues in athletic training.

Faculty members Tim Howell and Kitty Newsham with AT students Jess Buschjost and Angelo Bongiorno at the NCAA 3rd Round games on March 23, 2014 at Scottrade Center.
AT students Cat Costello, Jess Buschjost and Angelo Bongiorno with faculty members Tim Howell and Mike Markee  at the NCAA 2nd Round games on March 21, 2014 at Scottrade Center.
AT students Blake Hudspeth and Michelle Cybulski courtside for MVC MBB Tournament at Scottrade Center.

AT students Tony Mosello and Jess Buschjost courtside for MVC MBB Tournament at Scottrade Center.

AT Program Director Tony Breitbach courtside with students Michael Aaron and Hilary Stepansky
for MVC WBB Tournament
 at Family Arena.

AT students Ju Kim, Mary Rhatigan, Jose Mendez and Michael Aaron on site
for MVC WBB Tournament
 at Family Arena

March 21, 2014

SLU AT Students Host Workshop for SLU Medical Students

Athletic Training Skills Workshop for SLU Medical Students
By: Emily Grace, MAT Class of 2014

On March 19, 2014,  the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program hosted students from the School of Medicine to show them taping, spine boarding, and concussion testing. Such skills are specialties of certified athletic trainers and athletic training students but are often performed by participation of the entire sports medicine team.


Treating an athlete on or off the field requires interprofessional collaboration. Having an understanding and appreciation for other health care professionals roles is crucial to efficient and quality health care. During the athletic training skills workshop, second year medical students were able to learn specialty skill like preventative taping, sideline concussion testing, and spine boarding from graduate athletic training students.

PY2 AT students Emily Grace, Michelle Cybulski, and Dan Herrin demonstrate face mask removal
for an athlete with a suspected cervical spine injury
.
As athletic trainers, we are often the first responders during emergency situations in athletic settings. It is important for the AT's to be confident in their skills and be able to effectively communicate. Because medicine and diagnostic techniques are constantly changing and improving, it is part of our responsibility to continually advance our knowledge by keeping up with current research and disseminate pertinent information to the sports medicine team. As information about certain conditions improves, our diagnostic tools also improve. An example is the SCAT3, a sideline test used in the diagnosis for concussions.

PY2 AT student Mary Rhatigan guides medical students on proper taping techniques.
Teaching medical students about the role physicians and athletic trainers play in prevention and emergency care made me proud of the skill set I have obtained through my educational and clinical experience. Gaining hands on experience throughout my clinical rotations has given me the confidence and competency I intend to carry throughout my professional care and share with other health care professionals. It was rewarding to share my skills with future physicians!

PY2 AT student Jessica Buschjost demonstrates balance testing, part of the SCAT 3 sideline concussion testing.
SLU AT students participating in the AT Skills Workshop included Michelle Cybulski, Kayla Kelley, Kathleen McGovern, Dan Herrin, Cat Costello, Emily Grace, Haylie Dehm, Jess Buschjost, Mary Rhatigan (coordinator), Christian Ahlstrom and Hilary Stepansky.

March 19, 2014

SLU AT Clinical Education Coordinator Offers Advice About Basketball and Good Health

March 19, 2014
Carrie Bebermeyer
314.977.8015
bebermcl@slu.edu

In the Spirit of March Madness, Seven Reasons to Shoot Hoops

SLU Expert Shares Lessons from the Billikens
Tim Howell, Ed.D., ATC, CSCS

After you agonize over your NCAA bracket and hand your $10 over to the office pool, take a moment to reflect on the intense exercise and athleticism displayed in every college basketball game. In fact, from pick-up games to the pros, basketball has the potential to offer a multitude of all-around health benefits.
As exercise goes, it doesn’t get much better than a fun team sport that requires no expensive equipment or major time commitments.
If you need more convincing, Tim Howell, Ed.D., ATC, CSCS, assistant professor of physical therapy and athletic training at Saint Louis University, home of the Billikens, offers seven more reasons.
Basketball is good for:
Your Heart. Basketball can help you develop cardiovascular endurance, depending on how many times play stops. Keep moving, and you’ll keep your heart rate up. Building endurance can help keep your heart healthy, reducing risks of heart disease and stroke down the line.
Your Muscles. Long range three point shots help develop both upper and lower body strength. So does jumping to block shots. Strong muscles help you maintain your balance and decrease your risk of falling.
Your Bones. Jumping is a great way to develop and improve bone health. Weight-bearing exercise helps maintain your bone density over the course of your lifetime. Stronger bones are bones that are less likely to break.
Playing a high-intensity basketball game can burn 700 or more calories an hour.
Your Brain. By developing eye-hand coordination, basketball builds spacial awareness. Your body will know where it is in space and time. Ever wonder why a cat always lands on its feet? Body awareness.
Your Gut. Reducing it, that is. Depending on the intensity at which you play, you can burn 700 or more calories an hour. Burn fat while having fun.
Your Social Life. Have fun. Socialize. Build teamwork. Strong relationships translate into good health. Social people are less likely to suffer from depression and also tend to have a stronger immune system. Exercising in a group also tends to lead to better continued participation because you don’t exercise alone. You will have a built-in support system.
Your Stress Levels. Played alone or in groups, basketball can reduce stress. Exercise is a proven stress-reliever. Decreasing your stress will help you focus and have more energy to complete tasks.
Long a leader in educating health professionals, Saint Louis University offered its first degree in an allied health profession in 1929. Today the Doisy College of Health Sciences offers degrees in physical therapy, athletic training education, clinical laboratory science, nutrition and dietetics, health informatics and information management, health sciences, medical imaging and radiation therapeutics, occupational science and occupational therapy, and physician assistant education. The college's unique curriculum prepares students to work with health professionals from all disciplines to ensure the best possible patient care.

March 12, 2014

4 SLU AT Students Named to Fall 2013 A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll


Four Athletic Training students are among the 115 student-athletes from Saint Louis University named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2013 fall semester. This number is above the A-10 average of 101 and Saint Louis' number of 96 honorees a year ago. The Atlantic 10 Conference equaled the second-highest average of student-athletes honor on its bi-annual Commissioner’s Honor Roll, with 1,313 honorees, an average of 101 per institution for the 2013 fall semester. 

To be listed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll, a student-athlete in an Atlantic 10-sponsored sport must have a 3.5 GPA or better (on a 4.0 scale) during the specified semester. Freshmen are eligible to receive the award.

Fall 2013 Honorees Lined Up at Chaifetz Arena on Billiken Academic Excellence Night
The 101 average equals the number set in the spring of 2013 and is just one behind the record average of 102, set in the 2012 fall semester. It also marks the sixth straight semester that over 1,300 student-athletes have earned the distinction.

Academics are a point of pride in the Atlantic 10. In addition to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the league also ranks fifth among all conferences in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and fifth in the Academic Progress Rate (APR).

Athletic Training students on the Fall 2013 Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll:

Maddie Bryan, Freshman, Indianapolis, IN (Cathedral) - Women's Track and Field
Jenna Ginsberg, Freshman, Geneva, IL (Geneva) - Women's Track and Field
Jose Mendez, Senior, O'Fallon, IL (O'Fallon) - Men's Cross Country
Stephanie Uhrich, Sophomore, Winfield, IL (Fremd) - Women's Track and Field

March 01, 2014

SLU AT Program Looking Forward to Busy National Athletic Training Month in March!


March is National Athletic Training Month!  This year's theme is "We've Got Your Back".

The students, faculty and staff are looking forward to many activities to commemorate the month and raise awareness of Athletic Training!



Some of the the activities are:
  • Members of SLATS, the SLU AT student organization, are doing a daily social media campaign through Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #NATM2014.
  • Professional AT students are posting "We Love Our Athletic Trainer!" signs at their clinical site that can be signed by athletes at other stakeholders.
  • The National Athletic Training Month logo and message is posted prominently on the digital signage in the Allied Health Building.
  • Junior pre-professional AT students are making posters in MAT 300 on the Domains of Athletic Training for posting in the Allied Health Building.
  • Faculty member Dr. Kitty Newsham will be participating in the 5th Annual National Youth Sports Safety Summit which will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 10-11, 2014 at the Westin City Center, Washington, DC.
  • Freshman pre-professional AT students in MAT 100 will be taking a field trip to Rams Park on March 17th to meet the St. Louis Rams AT staff and tour their facility.
  • SLATS is working together with the SLU Medical Student Association to provide instruction and hands-on practice for 2nd year medical students in athletic taping, sideline concussion assessment and football cervical spine injury management on March 19th.
  • SLU AT staff and students are working together with 4th year medical students and SLUCare Sports Medicine to give a community presentation on knee injury prevention and sports concussions.
  • SLU AT faculty and students will be attending the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Assoociation Annual Meeting and Symposium in Des Moines, IA where Dr. Kitty Newsham will be presenting and a team of SLU AT students will be participating in the District Quiz Bowl Competition.
  • SLATS will be once again hosting its Bowl-a-thon to raise funds for the Bauman Athletic Training Scholarship at the Moolah Lanes on Wednesday, April 2nd.
For information about any of these activities contact the program at atep@slu.edu or 314-977-8561.


March is also basketball tournament time! The SLU AT program faculty, staff and students will also be providing athletic health care for the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center (St. Louis) and Women's Basketball Tournament at Family Arena (St. Charles).  They will also be serving as the host medical staff for the NCAA Second and Third Round Men's Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center.