December 21, 2017

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program!

December 16, 2017

SLU AT Program Provides Varied Immersive Experiences for Irish Clinical Exchange Students from Athlone Institute of Technology

International Clinical Exchange- SLU and Athlone Institute of Technology
By: Andrew Moran & Fiachra Lennon (Athletic Therapy Rehabilitation Students - Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland)

Our experience studying at Saint Louis University for 15 weeks has now come to an end, we feel that we have found the experience that we were looking for before we came out to St. Louis. Working with Webster Groves HS and the SLU Billikens Sports Medicine staff at Chaifetz Arena, we have definitely benefited from this international clinical exchange. From our very first day at Saint Louis University we were welcomed by Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC the Athletic Training Program Director who took time to collect us from the hotel we were staying at and brought us to induction day at SLU.
Induction week was very helpful as we got a good feel for SLU and its facilities. We also had the privilege to be brought to a park along with the rest of the international students to witness the Solar Eclipse on the 8/21/17 which was one of the most incredible things we have ever seen.
After we got settled into our new apartment and familiar with SLU, we got out schedule for clinical placement and class. We were placed at Webster Groves HS Monday to Friday working from 2pm till 8-9 depending on what sporting events were on each day. We also had rotation with Jason and Jordan the other two Irish students from AIT, at Chaifetz Arena in the morning where we working with the SLU sports medicine staff in the medical room in Chaifetz. We began our day at Chaifetz at 7am and finished at 10:30 am. At first we found it hard to get up for this but once we got into the swing of things we became more accustomed to it.

In the middle of the day we took 3 different modules Rehabilitation in AT II with Mike Markee, ATC, PT, OCS, COMT, Clinical Practicum III with Tim Howell, EdD, ATC, CSCS and Contemporary Clinical Practice with Kitty Newsham, PhD, ATC. We found these classes really beneficial for us. We also had the chance to take a Mock BOC exam with our PY2 classmates which will help us study for our ARTI exam that we will be taking for accreditation. In these classes, as well as furthering our knowledge in athletic training, we made a lot of friends for life with our classmates. This turned out to be a very symbiotic relationship as we could share the knowledge that we have learned in AIT and in turn they could share what they have learned with us.

Our clinical experience at Webster Groves high school has been extremely beneficial towards our learning experience in St. Louis. Our preceptor Sean Wright ATC has been head AT at Webster Groves for the past 13 years and his continued culture of collaborating to give the best care to athletes. Sean welcomed us into his school and Athletic training room with an open hand. From day 1 he threw us into the fire with evaluations and treatments which I felt was very beneficial because we could get hands on real life AT experience right from the start.

We made many friends working at Webster Groves, especially the SLU AT students who we traveled to Webster with, Paul Lamb, Pat O’Neill and Dimitri Kilian. We benefited greatly from working alongside each one of them which made our life in SLU much easier and also became very close friends whom we will never forget. Sean Wright ATC was so beneficial to work alongside at his high school, his vast knowledge of athletic training and his care for athletes will stand with us as long as we practice athletic training. This busy fall season we experienced a wide range of athletic events. Sports which were new to us such as American Football, Basketball, softball and wrestling along with sports we would be more accustomed to back in Ireland such as soccer, volleyball, athletics and field hockey. To work in a school with such a high caliber of athletes and working Friday night football was everything and more we expected when we heard we were working at a High School.

Working at Chaifetz Arena with the SLU Billikens Sports Medicine staff was a huge opportunity which allowed us to work with high quality athletes at a top of the range sports facility and medical room. We had the opportunity to work with the SLU Men’s Basketball team and Jonathan Burch ATC, SLU Men’s soccer, SLU baseball and Ben Heimos ATC, SLU field hockey and Petra Knight ATC, and SLU volleyball, tennis and softball and Tammy Pastor ATC. We had great experience working with each athletic trainer at the sports medicine room in Chaifetz arena, from covering a SLU baseball game at Busch stadium to taking full volleyball practices with Tammy pastor ATC at 6am in the Chaifetz pavilion. We loved every minute of this experience and gained valuable knowledge along the way. We honestly felt that this experience was more than we asked form the first day Tammy let us do a full evaluation on one of her athletes we felt a huge amount of respect and gratitude towards Tammy to the final day when we said our goodbyes, it will be an experience we will never forget.

Our time in Saint Louis University sadly has come to an end. We have gained so much experience on our 15 week international clinical exchange. From taping Ironman’s wrist at the Marvel Universe Live show at the Chaifetz Arena, working Friday night lights at Webster Groves HS, sharing classes with PY2 SLU students, to the early, early mornings in the sports medicine room at Chaifetz Arena and the late, late Saturday nights with our new and lifelong friends we made along the way this experience will never be forgotten.

December 15, 2017

Irish Exchange Students from Athlone Institute of Technology Build AT Clinical Skills and More at Saint Louis University

International Clinical Exchange - SLU and Athlone Institute of Technology
By: Jason Kenny and Jordan Finnegan (Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy students – Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland)

Having being allowed the opportunity to further our athletic training skills abroad from our college in Ireland, we found ourselves in Saint Louis University thanks to the hard work of SLU faculty Dr. Tim Howell and Dr. Tony Breitbach. Having come here expecting to gain clinical experience we have managed to walk away with much more.


Coming from Ireland we got the opportunity to work with many sports we wouldn’t be familiar with such as volleyball, basketball and American football. This exposed us to many injuries we wouldn’t normally see back home.  Our day usually started early in the morning in the Chaifetz arena. We worked closely with many teams, in particular the volleyball team thanks to Tammy Pastor ATC. We participated in many different master program classes. We further improved our understanding of rehabilitation and treatment techniques, while also becoming great friends with our fellow peers.


We were at Bishop DuBourg High School under the guidance of our preceptor Nate Jarman MAT, ATC who was excellent at furthering our knowledge in clinical reasoning, rehabilitation and strength and conditioning. We can’t thank Nate enough for the exposure he let us have while working under him. Having never thought about working at a high school it turned out to be our most enjoyable experience as an Athletic Training student and is a place we could see ourselves working in the future. We worked alongside fellow students Cat Chua and C.J. Butler where we shared our knowledge and experiences over the 4 months. (They were also the cheapest taxis in St. Louis!).

The list of things we accomplished and stories we have to tell could go on and on. From playing Gaelic football and Rugby each week, to taping Ironman’s ankles at the Marvel Universe Live Show! The friendships we have made will last a lifetime and this is an open invite for any of you to come visit us. Hopefully we will be remembered for more than just our social festivities around St. Louis. 


The only disappointing aspect of our time here is that it unfortunately has to come to an end.

Thanks for everything St. Louis!

December 13, 2017

SLU AT Student Improves Clinical Skills with Preceptor at St. Mary's High School


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - St. Mary's High School
By: Jack Liu (MAT Class of 2019)

I was placed at St. Mary’s High School high school for my first Athletic Training clinical experience. This clinical site has been a great practical experience and has provided me many learning opportunities.

I am very glad that I can gain clinical knowledge, skills, and abilities under the supervision of my preceptor Cara Bowton MAT, ATC; who works as the Athletic Trainer at St. Mary's through SSM-Saint Louis University Hospital. She graduated from SLU in 2016 and is very knowledgeable about injury management and prevention. 

My primary sport exposure at St. Mary’s has been with football team, and has been performed very well. It has been a good learning experience due to the variety of injuries that have occurred  on field. 

Working with my preceptor, I have improved my clinical skills through various clinical site activities. I have gotten some experience managing concussions, evaluating injuries to joints, and assisting in the treatment of environmental conditions such as heat stroke and muscle spasms during this football and soccer season.


Cara has been a tremendous preceptor and has provided me with some great opportunities to develop these hands-on experiences during my time at St. Mary’s High School. Furthermore, I expect that the knowledge I have gained in the classroom and my clinical site will be beneficial to my future career as an 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.

November 21, 2017

SLU AT Student Feels Fortunate to Refine Clinical Skills with Preceptor at Harris-Stowe State University


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Harris-Stowe State University
By: Killian Hollo (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

I am finally in the PY2 year of the SLU Athletic Training program. As the graduation with the Master of Athletic Training degree approaches in May, I find myself eager to refine and hone in on the skills I will need to be independently competent in following my entry to professional practice. Harris-Stowe State University is the clinical stage which I have and will continue to practice these skills until my graduation. Mentored by preceptor Timothy Herlihy ATC, I practice in an intriguing setting.

This is the first time I have worked with a single Athletic Trainer providing care to all the sports teams of a university. Having juggled that responsibility for the last seven years, Tim has experience and wisdom which not all Athletic Trainers have. I feel lucky to learn from him.

As we provide medical care to seven different sports teams, my clinical education sometimes focuses as much on logistical medical management and time efficiency as much as actual clinical skills. I have often found myself multitasking with multiple patient care responsibilities. In these situations it has been beneficial to display task priority, time efficiency, and effective communication with the patients. Furthermore, we often teach the student athletes “self- help” to promote quality care and injury progression even if they are not with us at that moment. What can the patient be doing to better themselves without one on one time with the Athletic Trainer?  For accessibility and prudent sake, we mostly stay around the Athletic Training room when there is not a game commencing. That way, any one of the sports teams knows where to find us at all times. There we keep busy with assessments, treatments, and rehabilitation. As of last week, all sports of this semester are in season so we have been experiencing some interesting days with all types of people coming to visit us.
Harris Stowe athletics has formed a good partnership with Logan University of Chiropractic Medicine. The doctoral students from Logan are eager to work with athletes so they come once a week. Every Wednesday I have the opportunity to learn from them and better understand a different culture of medicine. 

The Harris Stowe community seems much like a family and I am grateful to be learning there. I am excited to get to know the community better and better as I become more and more fluent in the practice of Athletic Training and strategies at Harris Stowe.  I know it will be a great year.
 
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.

November 16, 2017

SLU AT Students Inducted into Alpha Eta Allied Health Honor Society


The Saint Louis University chapter of Alpha Eta, the National Scholastic Honor Society for Allied Health Professions, held its annual induction ceremony in the Multipurpose Room of the Allied Health Building at Saint Louis University on November 16, 2017.


The Society is named for the Greek letters equivalent to the first letters of Allied Health (AH), which are Alpha Eta.  The purpose of the Society is the promotion and recognition of significant scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the allied health professions.

The following SLU AT students were honored in this year's ceremony:
  • Alexander Hubbs - Liberty, Missouri (MAT Class of 2018)
  • Erin Fabbri - Des Plaines, Illinois (MAT Class of 2019)
  • Ryan Frantz - Troy, Missouri (MAT Class of 2019)
  • Chris Mecherle - Bloomington, Illinois (MAT Class of 2019)
  • Margaret (Maggie) Rowell - Lakewood, Ohio (MAT Class of 2019)

Congratulations to this year's Alpha Eta honorees!

November 10, 2017

SLU AT Students Use Real-World Examples to Teach First-Year Health Professions Students About Athletic Training

Health Sciences Learning Community "Crash Reel" Night
By: Caitlin Gibson. with Alex Hubbs and Pat O'Neill (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

On November 9th, along with Dr. Kitty Newsham, we gave a presentation on Achilles tendinopathy and ruptures. Our audience was the freshman Health Sciences Learning Community. This Learning Community consists of many different majors: nursing, physical therapy, athletic training, etc. Different presentations are given throughout the year to these students to give them a snapshot of the different health science professions. 

This presentation allowed us to give a more rounded idea of what an athletic trainer does. While majority of the time athletic trainers are viewed for emergency response care, we wanted to highlight the importance that our profession has on the rehabilitation aspect in our scope of practice. 

Our presentation consisted of a real-world videos of Achilles ruptures (single impact or due to over-use), epidemiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, pathokinematics, surgical techniques, nonsurgical rehabilitation exercises and post-op rehab exercises. We had the learning community practice preventative exercises and exercise to do after a surgical repair.  We also went over taping for Achilles tendinopathy and a few students got to feel what it is liked to be taped.  

This opportunity allowed us to provide information to students on the different settings an AT can be in and provide information on Achilles tendinopathy in a real-world context. 

November 06, 2017

SLU AT Students Advocate for Athletic Training in the St. Louis Community at HealthyU

SCI-FEST/HealthyU at the St. Louis Science Center
By: Hannah Daily (SLU MAT Class of 2020)

This past weekend, on Saturday November 4th, students in the St. Louis University Athletic Training Society (SLATS) volunteered their time to show the St. Louis community what AT is all about during the annual Healthy U event at the St. Louis Science Center. SLATS plus hundreds of other professionals got the chance to engage with local families to teach them a more about the many health care fields. 
Healthy U is a part of the SCI-FEST series of educational programs and events. At HealthyU, we set up a return to play obstacle course including mini-hurdles, an agility ladder, cones and a balance component to finish it off. For parents, there was a raffle for four free SLU Billkens Men's Basketball tickets.

This experience was a fun and interactive way to show what the field of athletic training is all about. Our students also got to meet other athletic trainers around the area which was a great source of networking! Even though the kids didn’t quite follow the rules of our obstacle course, it was a great time teaching them about the Athletic Training profession.

Overall, this experience at Healthy U was a positive one and I am excited to see SLATS participate again next year.

October 31, 2017

SLU AT Student Enjoys Clinical Experience at Parkway South HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway South High School
By:  Maddie Bresnahan (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This year I get the opportunity to be at Parkway South High School with preceptor Mike Tzianos ATC who is at South through Mercy Sports Medicine! I enjoy learning under Mike's guidance, he is an experienced athletic trainer with so much knowledge to share with me. I get to spend the afternoons with Mike and become accustomed  to working in a high school and treating high school athletes.
I’ve already learned so much this semester! I constantly get to practice my athletic training skills. I tape, evaluate, and rehab athletes daily and I get great feedback from my preceptor to improve my skills. He also is always teaching my new skills and helpful tips to improve myself.

I love my clinical site this semester! And I am excited to continue learning and practicing athletic training skills.

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.

October 30, 2017

SLU AT Students Find Excellent Professional Role Model in Preceptor at Kirkwood HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Kirkwood High School
By:  Christopher Mecherle and Matt Murphy (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Being the only certified athletic trainer at a large school can be chaotic and trying at times but Denise Grider MAT, ATC, CSCS, our preceptor at Kirkwood High School, has proved that she is more than capable of dealing with the sometimes-overwhelming workload. We are fortunate to have her as a guide along the first steps of our career paths.

Through her we have learned how to keep order in the chaos, care for patients in an efficient and thorough manner, and interact with fellow faculty. In addition to teaching us new ways to tape, therapeutic modalities, and other hands on skills required for athletic training, Denise has showed us the way to earn the trust of our patients and truly get to know them in order to provide full care.

While Denise has been incredible, the students and faculty at Kirkwood have also been outstanding. The atmosphere the students, coaches, and administration create definitely makes going into the school everyday interesting and enjoyable. It's safe to say that Denise’s professionalism has rubbed off on us, and it certainly aided our growth towards becoming athletic trainers. The rest of the school has also made a positive impact in our first few months of our First Professional Year.

It has been an absolute pleasure to spend our first clinical experience at Kirkwood High School, and we hope to carry the experience we have gathered there to wherever we work in the future.

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.

October 28, 2017

SLU AT Student Values the Hands-on Clinical Opportunities at Christian Brothers College HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Christian Brothers College High School
By: Wyatt Whitegoat (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

This year, I have the opportunity to enhance my skills as an athletic training student at Christian Brothers College (CBC) High School. At CBC, I am currently covering football, soccer, and cross-country. My preceptor, Kristin Jeans ATC, LMT, who works at CBC through Mercy Sports Medicine, has made the opportunity a remarkable experience.
At the guidance of Kristin, I am able assess and treat injuries by applying the knowledge I gained from my previous clinical settings and lectures. As I apply my techniques, Kristin has been very interactive and responsive with my approach, which has enhanced my clinical judgment and confidence as an athletic training student.

Moreover, at CBC I am able to enhance my knowledge and capabilities of manual therapy. As a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Kristin has been able to demonstrate various massage techniques for muscular related release for the body. The techniques used have been beneficial for pre- and post-treatments. As a strong believer of manual therapy, I have learned tremendous massage therapy skills that I will consistently utilize.
Lastly, at CBC I am able to improve and gain more knowledge focused on rehabilitation. Rehabilitation has always been an interest of mine, so being able to integrate and learn skills from a clinical site and preceptor, like Kristin, has been a great component to my confidence as a future athletic trainer.

Overall, Christian Brothers College High School has been a great site. I am continually excited about the skills I will learn throughout the year. 

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.

October 26, 2017

SLU Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Sponsors Continuing Education Workshop - December 2, 2017

Advances in the Management of Knee Pathology

Saturday, December 2, 2017
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Multipurpose Room, Allied Health Building
Saint Louis University

Interventions for knee pathology evolve over time. Keeping current with the latest techniques is sometimes difficult. What works? Does it work for everyone? How can I select the best intervention for my patient? Join colleagues at this 4 hour continuing education program addressing chronic and acute knee pathology.

Topics include:

Task-specific Movement Training Intervention for Patellofemoral Pain
Gretchen Salsich, PT, PhD

Contemporary Interventions for Patellar Tendinopathy
Mike Markee, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT,ATC

ACL Injury and Reconstruction in the Skeletally Immature Athlete
Scott Kaar, MD

Identifying and Locating Quality Evidence for Busy Clinicians
Mary Krieger, R.N., M.L.I.S

Saint Louis University, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training (BOC AP# P3877) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers. This program is eligible for a maximum of 4 EBP Category hours/CEUs.

Saint Louis University School of Medicine Continuing Education Program is a continuing education sponsor for the State of Illinois to provide Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy CE courses.
State of Illinois Physical Therapy Continuing Education Sponsor License # 216-000085 Expiration Date: 09/30/2018 CE Contact hours: 4.0

Educational Objectives:
Upon completion of this program, a participant will be able to:
  • Describe the relationship between movement impairments and patellofemoral pain
  • Discuss the efficacy of current interventions for patella tendinopathy
  • Explain the consequences of delaying surgical stabilization in the ACL-deficient adolescent
  • Identify high quality evidence with a targeted search strategy.

Target Audience
  • This program is intended for athletic trainers, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals.

Fees
  • Early Bird (payment by 11/27/2017) $50
  • Regular Registration (after 11/27/2017) $60

Registration and payment information
  • Registration form and payment information are available through Saint Louis University REGISTRATION LINK
  • If paying by check, please contact Kitty Newsham (knewsham@slu.edu)

Cancellation/Refund Policy
A full refund of the conference registration fees will be made for requests received by November 30, 2017. No refunds will be processed after November 30, 2017. In the event a program is cancelled, participants are entitled to a full refund.
All refund requests must be sent in writing (postal or email) to, and received by Kitty Newsham at Saint Louis University’ 3437 Caroline Mall, St Louis, MO 63104 or knewsham@slu.edu). Refunds approved by November 30, 2017, will be issued to the original payer in the same amount as the payment received.

Directions
South on Grand from I-64/40 or North on Grand from I-44. Turn East on Chouteau to South on Theresa.

Garage parking is accessible from Theresa or Rutgers Ave.
Hickory East Garage: 3424 Hickory St. Garage Rate: $2 per hour, $6 per day

AT Student and Military Veteran Finds a Home at SLU with his Preceptor at St. John Vianney HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - St. John Vianney High School
By: Brian Leach (MAT Class of 2019)

The last year in the military is an exciting time for most services members. I was so excited to start down a new path, and my mind was flooded with all the possibilities. I was actually planning on returning to University of Missouri Kansas City where I had just been accepted. But after remembering a conversation between my sister and I about Saint Louis University when I was 11 years old, I realized that I needed to apply. I wanted to go to school for Anthropology at first, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Athletic Training Program a few lines down on the list. After a little thought, I decided that Athletic Training was the major for me, and so I applied and got in.

Now here I am four years later doing my clinicals at Saint John Vianney, a school my father used to brag about but had never attended. I am currently under the guidance of Tim Trupiano, ATC head Athletic Trainer at Vianney. I honestly cannot think of a better place to begin my clinical experience. Tim Trupiano reminds me a lot of one of my best friends from the military. Easy going guy that puts everything he can into being great at his job. I couldn’t be more grateful. I am especially thankful to begin my clinical experience at a site without modalities. I think that this is helpful for the sake of keeping things simple. Here I can learn to appreciate a more hands on, bare bones approach to treatment rather than getting lost in all the options.

I feel that I am building a solid foundation as I move forward into my future of becoming a good 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.

October 25, 2017

SLU AT Student Finds Ample Clinical Learning Opportunities at Lindbergh HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight- Lindbergh High School
By: Erin Fabbri (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

My first clinical site for this fall semester is at Lindbergh High School. I am the first SLU AT student to be at this clinical site. I am really enjoying my experience at Lindbergh High School thus far. This fall season has been very busy with 10 sports and 25 teams in total.

My preceptor, Danielle Zee-Cheng, ATC and I get along extremely well. I have learned so much from her and she allows me to practice my AT skills on a daily basis. Each day I am there I learn something new whether it is a new injury, new evaluation, new way to tape or different stretching techniques. The athletic training room is always crowded which has allowed me to get lots of practice taping on a daily basis. Lindbergh does not have a lot of modalities so that enables me to practice my hands on skills and learn different ways to perform treatment.

I am looking forward to the rest of my semester at Lindbergh. The majority of the fall sports are ending their seasons and then winter sports will begin. I have gained great relationships with coaches and administration at Lindbergh. Lindbergh High School has been a great clinical site. 

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.

October 24, 2017

SLU AT Students Benefit from Excellent Facilities and Dedicated Preceptors at Missouri Baptist University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Missouri Baptist University
By: Matt Eifert, Ryan Frantz and Justin Ullom (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

What can we say about Missouri Baptist University? The first thing that struck us was the almost overwhelming number of modalities that they have available to use in their athletic training room. Essentially, if you could dream it, you could get your hands on it at MoBap. The wide range of modalities has helped us to develop our rehabilitation skills on multiple levels, from simply using an innovative Normatech machine, to more complicated things such as doing a combination of stim and ultrasound. It is obvious that MoBap does not shy away from advances in medicine, as any modality that has proven benefits is used, no matter how recently it was discovered. Clearly there are the simple things such as bags of ice, but then there are also the more recent modalities such as the aforementioned Normatech machines, which deal with intermittent compression, as well as fire-cupping. It was extremely beneficial to the three of us to have all these modalities present at our first clinical site, because now we are proficient across the board is the use of them.

The other thing we came to love at MoBap was building the relationship with the athletes. When we first arrived, we had two long weeks of two a days where we did not know any of the players, nor their mannerisms. As we have built our relationships with the players, we have come to realize when an athlete is just being himself, or when he is actually hurt. We also found that the stronger our bond became with the athletes, the more easily they trusted us with what we were asking them to do, no longer being skeptical of who we were or if we actually knew what we were doing. That was one of our barriers initially, as we are the same age or barely older than some of these athletes, so they could not necessarily trust that we had the knowledge in us to properly treat them right off the bat.

In summary, we have gotten a great idea of what it is like to take care of athletes at the college level, as well as how important it is to build a strong bond with your athletes so that they trust you with your care. College level athletics are taken much more seriously than high school, and it shows in how the athletes expect to be treated for quick return to play from injuries, as well as the vastly larger time commitment that is involved with taking care of a college-level athletic team as compared to what some high school teams require.

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.

October 23, 2017

SLU AT Student Experiences an Individual Approach to Health Care at Cardinal Ritter College Prep


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Cardinal Ritter College Prep
By: Juan Calero Alonso (MAT Class of 2019)

This semester, I've had the opportunity to learn from my preceptor and SLU AT Alum Christopher (CJ) Spink MAT, ATC. I am really enjoying my experience at Cardinal Ritter college prep so far. Working with football, soccer and volleyball has been a great tool to develop new skills to help with my career development. So far I have had opportunities to learn about first aid care, rehabilitation treatments, injury evaluation and many other skills that athletic trainers use on a daily basis. My preceptor has a good relationship with the athletes and it is great to see how he manages every one of them according to their injury and personality.

Since we do not have any modalities to use at Cardinal Ritter College Prep, most of what we do focuses on injury prevention and rehabilitation with the resources that we have which means that I get to learn what to do if a modality is not available. So far I have been able to see different student- athletes with different injuries. I have helped with their rehab exercises as they approach the return to play stage. It is good to see how a player works with you in order to get stronger throughout the week and then goes on to perform well on their Friday Night football game.

It has truly been a great experience so far and I look forward to learn more and improve my skills throughout this semester.

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.

October 22, 2017

SLU AT Student Learns Through the Support of Preceptor/Alum at Rockwood Summit HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Rockwood Summit High School
By: Maggie Rowell (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

I began my first clinical rotation at Rockwood Summit High School. It has approximately 1,200 students and has had great success in their athletics, including 3 state championships in the past year. I was very excited to start working with the athletes and learn more about the profession outside of the classroom.

 I was fortunate enough to be placed with a Saint Louis University Athletic Training Alumnus, Tony Mosello, MAT, ATC, LAT. It is nice to work with an alum because he understands exactly what I am learning, the different tests and techniques we are taught, and adjusts our learning styles in reference to my knowledge set. It has also been nice getting to know the different coaches, athletes, parents, athletic directors, and physicians that we encounter in our day-to-day events.

Rockwood Summit has a wide variety of fall sports such as field hockey, soccer, volleyball, football, and many more. Since there are so many fall sports, there is always someone coming into the Athletic Training room looking for tape, rehab work, injury diagnosis, or help with a therapeutic modality. I have also been exposed to many triage situations. We have dealt with fractures, knee injuries, heart conditions, heat stress, and even a cervical spine injury. At first, it was intimidating to be engulfed in an environment where I may not have the proper skills to confidently have an action plan ready. However, by working with Tony, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and continuously learn through action. It is allowing me to take on new challenges that I would not have learned in the classroom.

Outside of being exposed to new injuries, I have also been exposed to the different, more subtle, responsibilities of an Athletic Trainer. I have learned how to properly keep in close communication with the athletes, parents, and physicians throughout the plan of care. I have learned the importance of developing trust with the athletes by being approachable and relaxed. Lastly, I have learned it is very important to document all aspects of an athlete’s care.

I am excited to continue learning new things as I continue being exposed to the athletic training profession at Rockwood Summit High School.

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.