SLU Pre-professional AT Student Gets Eye-Opening Look into Her Future as an Athletic Trainer

New AT Student Blog Post - Caitlyn Thomas (SLU MAT Class of 2020)  

I am wrapping up my third year in the SLU Athletic Training program, and this year has been eye-opening in terms of my future as an Athletic Trainer.

I was able to participate in Direct Observation hours, which was super helpful in gaining a little bit of a better understanding of what I am about to get myself into next year with Clinical Practicum, and potentially what my future career could look like. I was fortunate enough to get hours at Fontbonne University, John Burroughs School, a SLU club hockey event, the NCAA and SEC Gymnastics Championships, and the NCAA Bowling Championships.

My favorite places that I went and got direct observation hours at were John Burroughs Scool, and the Gymnastics Championships. At JBS, Caitlin Gibson (PY2) and Danielle Jabczynski (PY1) offered me so much advice on how to approach my upcoming classes, they walked me through why they did what they did when treating an athlete, and they told me about their different experiences at other clinical sites. During the Gymnastics Championships, I was able to hangout in the Athletic Training tent and observe our SLU PY students, as well as different team’s Athletic Trainers, provide care to the gymnasts. I loved the atmosphere of the gymnastics events, and would potentially be interested in working with gymnasts in my future.

I am anxious/excited/nervous about the upcoming semesters in the SLU AT program. So far, I feel like my classes have prepared me to succeed, but it’s going to be a whole new experience to be starting clinical in the fall and finally getting some hands-on experience. First off, however, I have to take the so-called “hardest class” of our program: Gross Anatomy. I’m nervous and excited at the same time for that class. I know I won’t have much of a Summer, but at least I’ll be putting in work along with my fellow classmates.

Here’s to the future!

This is one of a series of blog posts written by students entering the professional phase of the SLU AT Program as a part of MAT 3000 - AT Student Development II.