SLU AT Student is Excited Each Day about her Learning Experience at Westminster Christian Academy

 SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Westminster Christian Academy
By: Ali Graham (MAT Class of 2017)

Each day as I walk into Westminster Christian Academy I am very excited to see what the day will bring. I am very fortunate to have been placed at Westminster Christian Academy for my second clinical experience for this experience will be invaluable for my future. Hilary Orf  MAT, ATC at Westminster, has been there for 3 years now. She graduated from the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program and has been such a great mentor to me throughout this experience. She is very approachable, has a wealth of knowledge, and possesses great integrity. Hilary truly cares about her athletes and it shows through her practice. I have truly valued my time with Hilary for she has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has helped me improve my professional skills tremendously.

Throughout my time at Westminster Christian Academy I have developed my musculoskeletal assessment and treatment skills. Hilary has encouraged me to evaluate injuries and predict possible diagnoses. I have gained experience as to when it is appropriate to send an athlete for a physician referral. Once diagnosed, I have been able to take athletes through rehabilitation protocols, and apply the rehabilitation exercises and stretches as learned in class. I believe this is one of the best aspects about Saint Louis University's AT Program. As students, we are able to take the knowledge we learn in class and apply it at our clinical sites. During this clinical experience I have been able to observe SCAT 3 Concussion assessments performed on athletes. Without this experience I would only have classroom teaching of the SCAT 3 test, now I have been able to take this knowledge and witness first hand what occurs in the field. Once a concussion has been diagnosed, I have observed the Missouri State Law in action for concussion return to play protocol.

Westminster's spring sports have just started up so I am excited to experience and learn more. Fortunately, my time at Westminster is not up!

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.