New Arrival Gives a SLU AT Student the Benefit of Multiple Preceptors at Francis Howell High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Francis Howell High School
By: Heather Koch (MAT Class of 2014)

As I complete my second semester as an athletic training student at Howell as well as the last semester as a Master of Athletic Training student at Saint Louis University I am in a much different place than my previous blog post about Francis Howell High School. I have now become much more familiar with the students and staff and have had experience with fall and winter sports and we wrapped up the spring season.

My preceptor Ruth Young ATC welcomed a new baby boy into the world at the beginning of the semester which pushed me to take a more prominent role at my site. EXCEL Sports and Physical Therapy, the company that provides AT services to Francis Howell had a substitute while Ruth was on maternity leave. Sam Fehlhafer ATC, a PRN for EXCEL was a wonderful preceptor for the 6 weeks she was here.

Sam Felhafer, Heather Koch and Ruth Young at Francis Howell HS.

Sam is a recent graduate from the University of Iowa with her Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training. She has been working with EXCEL for the past year covering athletic events at several St. Charles County schools. Sam was so helpful with studying for the BOC and pushing me to take charge in the athletic training room.

We welcomed back Ruth mid-semester and she helped me in the exact same way. As I inched closer and closer to becoming a professional I took on more and more responsibility in the athletic training room as well as filling any spare time with all the studying I could handle. This spring semester was very eventful to say the least.

I am so excited to see what the future holds both at my site and in my professional life.  I owe a lot of my progress and growth to the instruction and help I've received this year from both Ruth and Sam. I wouldn't be the athletic training student I am without them.

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their preceptors. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU AT Program.