SLU AT Student Connects the Classroom and the Clinical Setting at Mehlville High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Mehlville High School
By: Brady Moore (MAT Class of 2016)

For the last two months my preceptor has been Dan Rackovan, ATC at Mehlville High School in my first clinical experience of the professional phase of SLU’s MAT program. I have greatly enjoyed my time at Mehlville High School and I have learned a lot about the daily tasks and duties I will be responsible for in the future. Dan has helped with my ability to gather history, assess injuries, and determine diagnoses of injuries. He has also helped me practice taking SOAP notes and become more comfortable with communicating with athletes to give them the best care possible. I have been exposed to many athletes and sports at Mehlville High School, which have helped me refine the skills I have learned during class this semester. I was surprised how well the curriculum integrated into the situations that I have been involved in at Mehlville. It seems that every week at least one topic that was discussed in class comes up when assessing an injured athlete.

Brady Moore and Dan Rackovan ATC

I have been involved in situations this semester from a basic grade I inversion ankle sprain to an unconscious athlete with a concussion who had to be immobilized on a spine board. The experience I have gained from these situations has given me the ability to reflect on the actions I took and determine what I do well and what I need to work on. Since I am just skimming the surface of knowledge that I will eventually be exposed to, I have to rely heavily on the knowledge and experience of others such as my preceptor and professors. With every injury that I assess and help to treat, I gain important knowledge that will help me with my future practice as a professional. Each athlete I treat gives me another opportunity to practice my skills and become a well-rounded athletic trainer.

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.