June 13, 2017

SLU AT Student Gains New Perspectives through Multiple Preceptors at Mercy Sports Medicine

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Mercy Sports Medicine
By: Bridget Bushong (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This summer I am doing my summer field experience at a Mercy Sports Medicine Clinic. I have  two different preceptors, Katie Mazzaferro ATC, DPT and Jillian Burrows ATC. It’s very nice working with different preceptors because it gives me different ideas and perspectives on rehab. In her role, Katie sees a wide variety of patients which in turn allows me to get a wider variety of experiences.
Being at Mercy has already taught me a different way of looking at rehab than what I’ve learned up to this point. They really take a full body approach to rehab, beginning with simple movements and gaining mobility to increasing stability and finally gaining strength to maintain correct body mechanics and live pain free.
This approach makes sense to me but it is proving to be difficult to adopt when thinking of rehab plans for patients. Doing it the rest of the summer will be greatly beneficial for me. I also like the excellent communication between all the rehab therapists and the doctors. There is constant communication which I think leads to better overall care.
I am very glad to have this opportunity to get a different experience than what I get during the regular school year.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have an immersive field experience in the summer between their two professional years in the program. This blog post details a student's reflection on their experience.

SLU AT Student Gets Immersive Professional Baseball Experience with the Gateway Grizzlies

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Gateway Grizzlies
By: Adam Beck (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

I am spending my summer getting a great experience with the Gateway Grizzlies and their athletic trainer Geof Manzo, MS, ATC. The Gateway Grizzlies are an independent baseball team in the frontier league, and play at GCS Stadium in Sauget, IL just on the other side of the river from St. Louis. Geof has been with the Grizzlies for 15 years now and has done an outstanding job as an athletic trainer and a preceptor. He has established a great relationship with the coaching staff and players that are veterans on the team allowing them to trust him. I spend most of my time with Geof at the clubhouse in the training room, out on the field, and in the dugout.
During a normal home game that starts at 7, I arrive to the clubhouse at about 1 O’clock. Once I arrive, I start by setting up the visitor’s athletic training room stocking it with ice and towels. Then once the players start coming in they come see us to get whatever treatment they need for the day. Something I noticed was that the players have more say in their treatment. Some pitchers prefer different types of treatments before or after they throw. Then at 3 we head out to the field and stretch out the pitchers.

Once finished with the pitchers, we start stretching the fielders. Then they take batting practice. By the time batting practice is over there is still a couple hours till first pitch. We spend this time doing more treatment, rehab, and stretching out certain individual players. This schedule gives me a lot of experience everyday with new rehab plans and different types of treatments.
I have been around baseball in previous settings, but the Gateway Grizzlies are giving me a new look into a different level of baseball and how the role of the athletic trainer fits. Geof does a great job of showing me new techniques and explaining how they work, why to use them, and when to use them. He allows me to get very hands on, whether it is with some sort of treatment such as cupping or with constructing a rehab plan to help athletes get back to full health.
The Gateway Grizzlies and Geof have given me a great hands on learning experience. I am excited to see how the season will progress and what new experiences I will encounter.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have an immersive field experience in the summer between their two professional years in the program.  This blog post details a student's reflection on their experience.

June 12, 2017

SLU AT Student Gets Soccer Experience at Multiple Levels with STLFC and St. Louis Scott Gallagher

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Mercy Sports Medicine/STLFC/St. Louis Scott Gallagher
By: Alex Hubbs (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Splitting time between the Saint Louis Football Club and Saint Louis Scott Gallagher Club Football has been a beneficial clinical experience operating under Mercy Sports Medicine. The guidance of both Brian Bounds, MPT, ATC, LAT, CSCS and Emily Costabile, ATC (SLU MAT class of 2015) has been instrumental to my clinical education, and I am thankful for their open mindedness towards new ideas, as well as their vast knowledge of all things sports medicine. Each of them urge continuous education and present new challenges to tackle as a team each day.
STLFC has allowed me to expand and improve upon my manual therapy techniques under ATC Brian Bounds. Managing professional soccer players requires a lot of focus and dedication – not only from the athletic training staff, but from the athletes as well.
Working with this club has been incredible, and each player has shown their dedication to their team and sport throughout my time interacting with them. With the help of Brian, we have implemented preventative exercises into their warm-ups, as well as the utilization of GPS Sports Tracker technology to track each player’s exertion levels day-to-day.
In contrast, SLSG has allowed me to focus on evaluation skills on a broad spectrum of soccer athletes. Collaborating with Emily Costabile on common mechanisms of injury, prevention of those injuries, and how to treat them when they do occur, has improved my skills as a clinician.
SLSG is a great clinical example of a site at which an ATC may not know every athlete that they cover, so establishing trust quickly and effectively with each new athlete we see is essential.
Emily’s flexibility towards her ever-changing population is an admirable trait I hope to carry as a future ATC. The guidance of each preceptor this summer has been extremely beneficial, and I am thankful for the opportunity to work with two incredibly diverse and challenging patient populations.
Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have an immersive field experience in the summer between their two professional years in the program. This blog post details a student's reflection on their experience.

June 10, 2017

SLU AT Student Builds Clinical Skills with Dr. Tyler Wadsworth and SLU Alum at Saint Louis Medical Clinic

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Saint Louis Medical Clinic
By: Maddie Bresnahan (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This summer I have the opportunity to work with a SLU Athletic Training alumna, Heather Koch, MAT, LAT, ATC and SLU AT Program Medical Director Tyler Wadsworth MD. I get to spend my summer mornings in the Saint Louis Medical Clinic where I see all kind of orthopedic conditions as well as learn more about general medical conditions.

I’ve grown very comfortable taking vitals and obtaining medical histories. I am also learning so much as I watch Dr. Wadsworth use evaluation and treatment techniques that we have not yet learn in class. 
I get the opportunity to look at and discuss patient’s diagnostic imaging, assist Dr. Wadsworth in giving different types of joint injections, observe the doctor when performing acupuncture, and learn how a doctor’s office operates. 
I am enjoying my summer clinical experience very much. And I am excited for what the rest of the summer brings.

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have an immersive internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program. This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.