August 09, 2019

SLU AT Student Gets Hands-on Learning Experience at Roswell NeuroSport Physical Therapy


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - NeuroSport Physical Therapy, Roswell, GA
By: Carmen Roberson (MAT Class of 2020)

This summer I am doing my clinical rotation at the Roswell NeuroSport Physical Therapy clinic in Georgia. So far, it has been such a great experience that I always look forward to throughout the week. My preceptor at the clinic, Chris Ross is a certified Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist, and I have learned so much from his expertise. Being in this setting has given me the opportunity to work with patients one-on-one each hour and increase my knowledge on the use of a variety of different modalities, manual and myofascial techniques, and joint mobilizations.


Overall the experience I have had thus far has been beneficial to my growth as an AT student and has given me a great idea on the patient population that I would like to work with when I have completed my program. I look forward to learning more as my last couple weeks wrap up and I am excited for the future.

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.

August 08, 2019

SLU AT Students Enjoy an Immersive Summer Experience Providing Care for the SLU Billikens

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics
By: Mitchell Buerck (MAT Class of 2020) and Maria Lingardo (MAT Class of 2020)

Starting in July, we had the pleasure of gaining clinical experience at Saint Louis University. Our preceptors, Jonathan Burch ATC and Petra Knight ATC, caring for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Each week we switch off, getting experience with both teams.
Mitchell - I was with the men’s basketball team during the spring semester. It was nice coming back, jumping right back where I left off with practices and helping the players. The women’s team was a new experience for me but I enjoyed it just as much. Being with the men’s basketball team really helped my transition to the women’s team with how they do their practice and rehab. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the summer goes.

Maria - This has been an incredible experience so far. I hope to have a future in Division I athletics, so this setting is perfect for helping me get a feel of how things work. I started off with Petra and the women’s basketball team. I helped set up for practices, helped with treatments and recovery and even ran through rehabs with the athletes. Petra is also in charge of ordering and inventory for the AT room. Getting to help her puts in perspective all of the hard work that AT’s do behind the scenes that no one thinks about. Being with the men’s basketball team has been a similar experience. The players work hard, even at early morning practices, and I’m honored to be helping out.

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.

August 06, 2019

SLU AT Student Builds Rehabilitation Skills with a Variety of Patients at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Highland Park, IL
By: Alejandra Chavez-Hernandez (MAT Class of 2020)

This summer I have the privilege of being at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute in Highland Park, Illinois for my summer field experience under the guidance of my preceptors Paul Schmidt PT, ATC and Bria Wanzung PT, DPT, ATC.  The Illinois Bone and Joint Institute is one of the largest independent orthopedic practices in the US.

IBJI is truly a great fit for me because one of my goals for the summer was to learn more about rehab and being at this site has helped me achieve that goal and so much more. I have two great preceptors that have each taught me a lot about the rehab process from different perspectives. I am often challenged to think creatively when thinking of new exercises that are appropriate for different patients according to their injury and rehab goals. I have especially learned a lot about different manual therapy techniques as well as rehab tools that I found very interesting such as a blood flow restriction used to help patients recover from their injury by periodically reducing the blood flow to the limb as they perform different exercises to help increase their strength.


I typically spend two days out of the week with Bria and then two days with Paul. I usually observe my preceptor as they work with their patient and then I lead the patient through their rehab exercises. This has helped me learn a lot about how to properly communicate the right cues to the patient to make sure they are doing their exercises in a safe and correct manner. I have also had the opportunity to shadow other health professionals at IBJI such as sports medicine doctors and other physical therapists who specialize in things such as rehab for patients with concussions.

Something that I really appreciate from being at IBJI has been learning to practice my skills with patients of all ages. I am used to being around high school and college athletes from previous clinical experiences, but at IBJI I have been able to utilize my skills with kids, adults and elders, which has been great because I have learned a lot about how to modify different rehab exercises to fit the patients needs.

I am enjoying this experience because it has showed me a different setting where athletic trainers work, especially because it is a setting I aspire to practice in the future. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn from great clinicians in this dynamic learning environment. I look forward to the rest of my summer at IBJI!

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.

August 05, 2019

SLU AT Student Appreciates Opportunity to Learn in High-Profile Setting at Ole Miss


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - University of Mississippi Athletics
By: Caitlyn Thomas (MAT Class of 2020)

This summer, I got the opportunity to get my field experience at Ole Miss with the women’s soccer team. I was super stoked to get experience at a Division I, Power-five university since this is the setting I want to pursue in my career.  My preceptor, Corbit Franks, MS, ATC, CES, is highly knowledgeable and is a fabulous teacher. The women on the soccer team are a fun bunch to be around and I am enjoying spending my time with them.
At Ole Miss, Corbit and a few other AT's have been teaching me about some new rehabilitative techniques, such as Active Release Technique and Postural Restoration Institute. They often use these techniques in their rehab protocols and see great results.

Another interesting aspect of my experience is getting to observe Brian Wiseman CSCS, the strength and conditioning coach, work with the women’s soccer team. I have been able to chat with him about why he incorporates certain exercises into their conditioning routine and I have seen Brian and Corbit work closely together to ensure the athletes are as healthy and fit as possible. I am excited for preseason to officially begin and to be around for the women’s first regular season game!

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.