Interested in a career as an Athletic Trainer? Join us at Saint Louis University!

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program is committed to the professional preparation of skilled, compassionate and confident entry-level athletic trainers who contribute to society as clinicians, professionals, and scholars. We build on SLU's Jesuit educational tradition of to form health care professionals of “competence, conscience and compassionate commitment”. SLU AT Program faculty, staff, students and graduates will strive to promote optimal health and wellness and advocate for their respective communities.

Access the program website: 

https://www.slu.edu/doisy/degrees/graduate/athletic-training-mat.php

Apply to the program through the SLU website: 

https://www.slu.edu/apply.php 

OR

Apply through the Athletic Training Centralized Application Service (AT-CAS): 

https://atcas.liaisoncas.com

Email the program: sluptat@health.slu.edu

Contact by phone: 314-977-8561

SLU AT Student Appreciates the Clinical Learning Environment at Edwardsville HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Edwardsville High School 

By: Alex Davis (SLU MAT Class of 2023)

Hi, I’m Alex Davis and I have been at Edwardsville High School with my preceptor, Katie Hamilton ATC this Fall. This has been an amazing experience to start my first clinical rotation at Edwardsville. Katie  is an awesome preceptor and has helped me grow as an AT student. She has helped me with taping,  therapeutic modalities, special tests, and evaluation. I love being here and helping Katie out with the athletes. 

Every day I get more and more comfortable with my skills and knowledge that I use outside of class and using them in the field under Katie’s supervision.  I love being around the student athletes everyday and I hate to go home when we are finished for the day.  I love building these relationships with the athletes, coaches, and staff here at Edwardsville and I am excited for the rest of the 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.

SLU AT Students Acknowledge Preceptor's Role Providing an Excellent Learning Environment at Affton HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Affton High School

By: Lauren Swords and Jordan Hyink (MAT Class of 2023)

Affton High School might seem unassuming from the outside, but it is really the Taj Mahal of clinical sites. One of the main reasons is because of the amazing preceptor who resides there, Becky Stigen ATC. Becky has given us the freedom to try new things and fine tune our skills while ensuring proper technique and safety for all the athletes. 

We worked with all types of athletes from football to volleyball to cross country which gave us lots of diversity in athletes and injuries. We also had the opportunity to be on the sidelines for a variety of games and learn the different requirements of an athletic trainer on game days. The overall experience has been wonderful so far and has helped expand our knowledge. 

Our clinical assignment at a high school has been an extremely good crash course in what makes an AT. During our peak busy times the AT room will see up to 20 students in the course of an hour. In the beginning of our time at Affton, this involved Becky having to take most of the students herself while we stood back and observed. But now there is a definite flow to how all three of us work together, having our assigned jobs and each seeing different patients. 

When we arrived at Affton High School we were not confident in our skills and the knowledge that we had. Throughout our time, we have learned new techniques for taping, instructing athletes in exercises, assessing injuries in both acute/chronic and emergent settings, as well as the ins and outs of game day for an Athletic Trainer. Due to all this hands-on learning, we have noticed a significant increase in our confidence not only with our skills but in ourselves and each other as well. 

We would highly recommend Affton High School for future clinical placements because Becky is such a wonderful teacher and Affton is such an interesting place. It really makes for a wonderful overall experience. 

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.

SLU AT Student Enjoys Connecting Classroom and Clinical Learning at Rockwood Summit HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Rockwood Summit High School

By: Maggie Cannatella (MAT Class of 2023)

I really enjoyed my first clinical experience at Rockwood Summit High School.  Although it has only been about a month, I have already learned a lot from my preceptor, Mercy Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer and SLU Alum Tony Mosello MAT, ATC.  This semester, I have learned about some injuries and clinical skills in class and gotten the chance to apply or see them in clinical.  

As the school year progresses, I am excited to learn more about evals and other skills that I get to see Tony use every day.  I have gotten the chance to help tape the athletes and practice modalities I have learned in class.  So far, as I have become more comfortable, I have gotten to know some of the athletes at Rockwood Summit and started to develop relationships and establish trust.  

The athletes, coaches, and staff have been nothing but welcoming and it has been a great environment to learn in.  I am excited for the rest of the semester and for the opportunity to learn more about the profession of athletic training and to continue to learn in class and then apply that knowledge in clinical.  I already have learned and seen so much, and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for the rest of the 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.

SLU AT Student Finds a Welcoming Community in a Busy Clinical Site at Marquette HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Marquette High School

By: Brittany Risko (MAT Class of 2022)

This semester I have the wonderful opportunity to be placed at Marquette High School with preceptor Mercy Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Mathew Petersen ATC. This semester has been flying by pretty quick so far! Marquette has been very welcoming and excited to have another member to their community. 

I have learned how to manage more athletes in a shorter amount of time. Marquette has a little over 2,000 students this is a much larger population than my previous clinical placement. It has been a lot of adaptation and learning how to manage all the athletes and get them in and out to fields to practice in an efficient matter. 

I am gaining so much new knowledge as well as refreshing concepts from Mathew. Through observing evaluation, assisting in evaluation and doing evaluations myself I am gaining invaluable experience so far at Marquette. 

I look forward to the rest of the year with the community and working with their athletes.  

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.

SLU AT Student Gains New Skills Through Clinical Experience at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Muharem Komic (SLU MAT Class of 2023)

At Webster Groves High School with my preceptor Sean Wright ATC and I have learned and experienced quite a lot from being there for about a month even though it feels like I have been doing it longer than that. Sean has been awesome with showing me how everything works in the High School setting. How students come into his office after school to engage in rehab or to get checked out if they feel something is bothering or limiting them from performing. I’ve learned new ways to tape ankles and thumbs compared to how we were taught at Saint Louis University. Now I am in the process of taking parts from each method and kind of combining them. Some experiences that I’ve seen are a couple ACL tears and learning there certain special tests to prove the injury, along with MCL, PCL, and LCL. 

Something that happened recently was a possible cardiac arrest or at least from what Sean and I were told a cardiac arrest. It was this past Saturday and there was a volleyball tournament going on along with two soccer games. We just finished a the first soccer game and went back inside to check on volleyball and eat some pizza that was ordered for the staff. We were eating and Sean gets a call from one of the soccer coaches and said cardiac arrest on the field. We ran out there and this elderly man was on the ground conscious and Sean took his BP and it was weak and rapid, the ambulance was already on the way and they came and took over about one minute after we arrived. Turns out he was dehydrated, his BP went from 150 to 100 just from him sitting up. Sean and I were told it was a cardiac arrest so we brought the AED, but it ended up not being that at all. This whole situation made evident that anything can happen at any given moment, even when you’re not the first person on site. It showed me that you have to be ready and expect the situation to be a lot worse when arriving and we did. 

Overall it's been a great experience for the month being there and I expect to be learning and experiencing more as time goes on. 

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.

SLU AT Students Build Their Skills in a Dynamic and Collaborative Environment with Billiken Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics

By: Maddie Cavanaugh, Amra Kardasevic, and Michael Ryan (MAT Class of 2022)

For the start of our PY2 semesters, we have had the opportunity to gain clinical experience at Saint Louis University.  SLU provides a multitude of sports the opportunity to work with a variety of athletes and Certified Athletic Trainers.  Amra Kardasevic and Maddie Cavanaugh are primarily assisting Jonathan Burch, ATC, with Men’s Basketball.  Michael Ryan is primarily assisting Ben Heimos, ATC, with Men’s Soccer and will assist with Baseball in the Spring.  We are able to spend numerous hours in the athletic training room, gaining experience from all of the staff ATs and learn from the individual, unique skillsets.

It is a unique opportunity to provide medical care for high level athletes.  While basketball is still early on in pre-season, we are getting to see and assist with practices, rehabilitations and injury prevention. Men’s Soccer is partially through their season, so I have been seeing how rehabilitations differ when a player gets a minor injury in a game when the goal is to get them ready for the next game as opposed to how injuries are treated in pre-season.

Maddie and Amra look forward to getting the game day experience and the possibility of traveling with the team eventually to see what both home and away games look like for a Division I Certified Athletic Trainer for basketball.  Maddie is looking forward to experiencing the interprofessional atmosphere between the ATCs, strength and conditioning staff and nutritionists within Chaifetz.  Amra is eager to experience a fast pace environment that is associated with game day and learning more clinical skills from both ATCs and other medical staff if injuries arise.  Michael is looking forward to continuing to learn and get more experience to hone his skills as an athletic training student. Having experienced a few game days already this year, Michael is excited to continue being utilized on those days to help prepare the team for their game. 

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.

SLU AT Student Sees the Importance of Communication Skills in Clinical Practice at DeSmet Jesuit High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - De Smet Jesuit High School

By: Eldwin Neritani (MAT Class of 2023)

During my clinical experience at De Smet Jesuit High School, I have definitely learned a lot from my preceptor Mercy Sports Medicine AT and SLU alum Dan Herrin MAT, ATC. The dynamics within the athletic training environment has been a new realm that I have never experienced before. One thing that I learned is how important and crucial communication is; whether that be between the athletic trainer and the athletes, or with the coaches, or with any other person. I have learned so much about the athletic trainer-athlete relationship, and how important it is to build that relationship. Having that proper communication between the athlete and I makes the entire process so much easier. With that communication also brings with it a general gaining of trust from the athletes. By being personable with and being able to interact with the athletes allows for a connection to form between us, which just makes the entire process much more enjoyable and streamlined for both parties.

And with those different people coming through the door, comes with different needs and expectations. There is no cookie-cutter one size fits all method that works for everyone. It helps to be creative and be able to think on the spot about a better treatment for an athlete. It could be something as simple as a small addition of an extra figure 8 or stirrup in my ankle tape for them to give them better support, or if an athlete has not been showing results in their rehab I observed as my preceptor Dan tries different techniques that might be of more help.

I have also learned that it is very much alright to not understand everything, something that I have definitely had to work on. Being able to understand my limits and what I know and don’t know how to do has definitely been eye opening for me. The thing that has helped me the most in situations like this is admitting when I don’t know something, but then paying attention to and asking Dan questions has been one of the biggest helps for me. Or even when I do something wrong, or if an athlete wants their ankle or wrist re-taped because they didn’t like how  I did it the first time. These are all moments that I have learned from and will continue to learn from through the experiences I have had.

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.

SLU AT Students Enjoy Numerous Clinical Learning Opportunities with Washington University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University in St. Louis Athletics

By: Emily Haley, Anastasia Galo, Mason Remeis, Alex Smith (SLU MAT Class of 2023) and Sydney Nash (SLU MAT Class of 2022)

Our clinical experience at Washington University, with preceptors Chris Schultheiss ATC,  Jackee Hill ATC and  Amanda Lusky ATC,  we have primarily been caring for football and have had many opportunities to witness and take care of injuries including ACL tears, patellar subluxation, Achilles tendon rupture, AC joint separation, shoulder dislocation and many more. With the number of injuries from pre-season camp and now, we have had ample opportunity to either create rehab plans or assist in executing rehab with the players. 

This experience has given us many opportunities to use modalities that many places do not have like laser, an underwater treadmill, and Hiva mat. Since the sports medicine doctors are frequently at our site, we have also had the opportunity to sit in on and take notes on evaluations as well as the ability to observe suturing. 

The PY1’s have learned a lot from this first clinical experience so far and have been building up our skill sets. We have practiced a lot of taping, compression wrapping, wound care, taken histories, assisted with pre-season physicals, observed on field evaluations, and have just begun to practice evals on the foot and ankle. Wash U is a great learning environment for us as there is always something happening. 

Sydney, a PY2, has had the ability to practice her evaluation skills on athletes as well as learning the administration side of athletic training. She has had many opportunities to assist in physicals and paperwork regarding them which has been an amazing experience to prepare me for my future experience. Being able to be at this clinical site with all of the PY1’s has been an amazing and fun experience.

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.

SLU AT Students Appreciate Preceptor's Commitment to Preparation and Learning at John Burroughs School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - John Burroughs School

By: Katie Wissing (MAT Class of 2022) and Olivia Mani (MAT Class of 2023) 

John Burroughs School (JBS) has been an incredibly insightful, fast paced, and hands-on experience under the guidance of our preceptor, Dean Tiffany, ATC. No stranger to the word “busy,” Dean is the head athletic trainer, assistant athletic director, and wrestling coach at John Burroughs. This may seem like a full plate to have, but we have quickly learned that the staff at JBS have this strong work ethic and take on this challenge head on, fully committing to their role. 

The pride and joy of the fall season, football has been an excellent opportunity for us to heighten our emergency care skills, such as c-spine stabilization and equipment removal, in a highly competitive environment. With the hot St. Louis summers lingering through September, heat illness simulations are another necessary practice. We always make sure to have a rectal thermometer and the ice bath on hand! 

One of Dean’s strong suits as a preceptor, all of this preparation has made us confident in our ability to provide optimal care to our athletes. There are numerous new special tests, taping techniques, rehab exercises, therapeutic modalities, etc. that we have learned in just our first month at this site. Under Dean’s supervision and with his trust, we have had numerous opportunities to take the lead and demonstrate our newly learned skills. We know that in the weeks to come there is so much to be absorbed and expand our scope of practice. We look forward to an electric semester ahead. 

GO BOMBERS!!!

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.

Remembering 9/11/2001…..

On this anniversary of the 9/11/2001 tragedy, there are many ceremonies and TV specials to commemorate the memory of those who lost their lives that day.  I am sure these are all fitting tributes, but these events do not come close to the living memorials in our hearts and minds.

The memory of that day is still vivid in my mind.  I first heard the news of the attack as I was driving into SLU on I-44.  I was working as the Head Athletic Trainer at Saint Louis University at the time.  Fall sports season was in full swing and I anticipated a busy day covering a volleyball match and serving the needs of the rest of the Billiken athletes who needed my care.

Because there was road construction on I-44, I was listening to KMOX on the drive into work that day.  I was listening to live coverage of Tiger Woods’ practice round at the PGA golf event taking place at Bellerive that week.  As I drove past the Laclede Station Road exit, the morning anchor on KMOX cut in to report a terrible accident in New York City.  They were still unsure of what was happening and I listened intently as I arrived at work and heard about the attack on the second tower, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

The Athletic Training Room had the only TV where Billiken athletes could watch the coverage in West Pine Gym.  Slowly the number of athletes and staff began to accumulate in the Athletic Training Room as the sad news of the tragedy unfolded.  Time stood still as we all sat in disbelief and silence.  Tears flowed freely as we called our friends and relatives to try to make sense of the incident.

Several of us were directly affected by the incident.  My brother Tim was in Manhattan, near ground zero on business that day.  Many of our athletes and staff had connections to people embedded in the tragedy.  Because the problems with communications, I did not hear from Tim until Wednesday and I remember my relief in hearing his voice!   

The volleyball match with Indiana that day was cancelled and our upcoming trip to Florida was also cancelled as airline travel was temporarily suspended.  FBI agents began to appear on our campus, as institutions with aviation programs were being investigated for possible leads on future attacks.

I barely slept that night waiting for Tim’s call as my family and I huddled watching the ongoing coverage of the aftermath.  My brother Tim finally made his way out of the New York City on Friday and rented a car in Newark, NJ which he drove to our home in St. Louis.  He arrived at about noon on Saturday tired and still reeling from the event he witnessed.  We totally lost track of time as we spent the day talking and crying about our feelings, relieved we had survived, but grieving for those that did not.

I traveled with volleyball on its first road trip to Dallas and Houston a few weeks later.  The airports were full of armed soldiers to maintain security.  For months afterwards we feared there would be another incident, but thankfully, there has not…..

Our lives have been irreversibly changed by those events in September 2001 and all of the things that came later as a result.  The greatest memorial we can provide those affected is to keep their memory alive in our hearts and minds, trying our best to serve others as a legacy to their sacrifice.

May God’s blessings be with you…

SLU AT Student Grows Confidence and Clinical Skills over Summer with SLU Men's Basketball

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Billiken Athletics

By: Mason Cotterel (MAT Class of 2022)

I had an amazing experience during my time at Saint Louis University with Billiken Men’s Basketball. Not only getting to learn under a new preceptor but working with a different athlete population and in a different type of setting greatly impacted my development. Getting a lot more experience with modalities, hydration, nutrition, and taping gave me a lot more confidence in my own abilities as well as helped educate me on some of the differences in the treatment and care of athletes at the college level when compared to the high school level. 

Through experiences as well as conversations with my preceptor Jonathan Burch ATC; I learned how at the college level there is a different standard for not only the treatment and care of your athletes but for your professionalism as well. With college athletics you are there as early in the morning to as late in the evening. With you assigned team you are there throughout the day for whatever their schedule looks like and on the road with them for every away trip. Just as there is more of an investment from players, coaching staff, and the school in a team’s success, so too is there a greater investment in their health and it relies on the athletic trainers to help organize and coordinate this care for the athletes. 

I was inspired by my time at SLU, knowing that I hope to get into the world of college athletics with ambition and drive to not only work with sports that I love, but in a field and profession that I love as well. 

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 Program Welcomes Alumni Back as Lab Instructors

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program is proud to welcome back alumni Alex Hubbs MAT, ATC and Maddie Bozych MAT, ATC to serve as adjunct lab instructors.

A native of Liberty, MO, Alex received a Bachelor's degree from Truman State University before entering the SLU AT Program as a post-baccalaureate student in 2016, and graduating with a Master of Athletic Training (MAT) degree in 2018. He serves at the Athletic Trainer at Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, MO.  He will work with Dr. Kitty Newsham in MAT 5240 - Musculoskeletal Assessment and Management I and MAT 5250 - Musculoskeletal Assessment and Management II.

Maddie is from Glen Ellyn, IL and entered SLU as a freshman in 2016, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in 2020 and a MAT degree in 2021.  She has a position as an Athletic Trainer with SLU Billiken Athletics; and will work with Dr. Anthony Breitbach in DPT/MAT 4125 - Therapeutic Modalities in the Fall and with Dr. Mike Markee in MAT 5500 - Rehabilitation in Athletic Training I in the Spring.

Welcome Alex and Maddie!

SLU AT Student Connects with the Welcoming Learning Environment at UW-Milwaukee Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Athletics
By: Katie Wissing (MAT Class of 2022)

Returning home for the summer to work alongside Grant Rohrig, M.S. Ed, ATC, and the men’s basketball team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) was an exciting prospect for a Milwaukee native, and I feel honored to have been so quickly welcomed into the panther family. The UWM athletic training staff immediately acknowledged my role on the healthcare team. With their open expression of trust in me, I was able to swiftly form relationships with each athlete, for I have been viewed as a part of their “family.” With their confidence in my care, I am able to treat and assist any player who may come in with an ailment. 

With any summer training and conditioning programs comes sore, tight muscles. So far this summer, I have been able to refine my skills in reducing this pain and tightness. I have always been interested in expanding my repertoire of manual therapies, and a new technique I now utilize every day is cupping therapy. An ancient technique, I have found cupping to be a great way to increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and aid in pain management for the student athletes.

 

Alongside minor, short term complaints, I have been able to observe the progress of individuals with more lasting conditions.  For example, I have been able to apply and observe a shoulder protocol with an individual who recently had a surgery to fix his torn labrum. Being able to view and apply a concept learned in class has been such a validating and worthwhile experience. 

Overall, I no longer have qualms when in the athletic training room and can approach each day head on, with confidence. Quite frankly, I dread the day I will have to leave my Panther family. I am grateful for Grant, the UWM staff, and all of the student athletes who are making my summer clinical experience great!

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 Appreciates Immersive Experience with Pediatric Patients at Mercy Orthopedics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Mercy Orthopedics, St. Louis
By: Sydney Nash (MAT Class of 2022)

For my summer field experience I am at Mercy Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery. My preceptor Nadia Melton ATC, LAT has been an athletic trainer in Dr. Anderson's office for four years. In this clinic they work a lot with pediatric patients who have club foot, cerebral palsy, or hip dysplasia to name a few. During this clinical experience I have learned a lot about treatments for disorders I would not commonly encounter in your average athletic training setting.

While in clinic we see a variety of patients for pre-op, post-op, new patient, as well as casting. I have been able to experience observing cast removal as well as casting for club foot. I have also been gaining experience in taking a history on patients as well as interacting with different younger kids! Working with younger kids is very different than working with high schoolers and college athletes which I have had to adjust to, but I think it will allow me to communicate with patients better!

This has been an amazing experience so far and am excited to see what comes. I am learning so much from all the team members at the clinic and enjoy being able to see the changes in kids as we see them, most come weekly. This summer I have been able to intern with an amazing staff and amazing patients and want to thank everyone who has made it that way!

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 Learns New Skills in Regenerative Therapy at Bluetail Medical Group

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Bluetail Medical Group

By: Amra Kardasevic (MAT Class of 2022)

I am currently in the middle of my summer field experience at Bluetail Medical Group and I am loving it! My preceptor, Devon Guckes, ATC, works an athletic trainer with physician Matthew Bayes MD. Dr. Bayes specializes in sports medicine injuries and non-operative treatments including regenerative therapies. He utilizes ultrasound to guide his treatments and aid in confirming diagnoses. 

Devon’s role consists of performing initial evaluations on new patients, doing follow-up interviews on patients that have been recently treated, preparing equipment for procedures and injections, and many other things. The regenerative treatments that they do are mostly for patients with arthritis. The stem cells help to regenerate cartilage and give those people around 5-7 years of relief before it starts deteriorating again. They are also used for muscle tears and partial ligament and tendon tears, to help rebuild them more quickly and decrease the chance of reinjury. It has been very cool to see patients come back for a follow up and be doing a lot better because of these treatments.

This summer at Bluetail I have had the opportunity to see patients and complete their history and evaluations on my own. After doing this, I am able to go in with Dr. Bayes and assist with the ultrasound and observe him doing his evaluation and giving recommendations for treatment. I have also been able to assist him with some procedures and injections, which has been a very unique experience that I have not gotten to have before. We have seen patients with lots of different musculoskeletal injuries, along with a good amount of concussions so I am getting a lot of exposure to pretty much everything. It is also a different patient population than I am used to, with a wide range of ages and activity levels that we see.

I am really enjoying my time at Bluetail and am learning so much from Devon and Dr. Bayes and his medical assistant. Everyone is very dedicated to giving their patients the best care possible which is very refreshing to see. I am enjoying the clinical setting because I like seeing how helping manage other medical conditions can also help with musculoskeletal injuries. 

I am looking forward to continuing my experience and everything that I will learn in the upcoming weeks!

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 Enjoys Clinical Experience with Collaborative Team in a Highly Competitive Setting at Ole Miss

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - University of Mississippi Athletics
By: Maddie Cavanaugh (MAT Class of 2022)

This summer, I have had the opportunity to gain experience at Ole Miss with the football team. I was thrilled to be able to learn and enhance my skills at a NCAA Division I, Power-Five university for a full summer conditioning and fall camp season. Getting experience in the setting that I want to pursue has been phenomenal. My preceptor, Kevin Keys, MS, ATC, LAT, PES, has helped me integrate into the program and has given me unique opportunities to enhance my skills early on. I also have the ability to learn under Ole Miss Football Head Athletic Trainer, Pat Jernigan, MS, ATC, LAT, PES, and Assistant Athletic Trainers Damian Willis, MBA, LAT, ATC, CSCS, and Mitchell Mazur, M.Ed, LAT, ATC. Each of the athletic trainers that I am learning with provide a unique skillset that I am able to learn from.

One of the new techniques that I have been able to utilize during my time so far is Blood Flow Restriction. They are able to use BFR during many phases of the rehabilitation process to produce fatigued results with using very little weight and ensuring a lesser risk of injury during rehabilitation.

During my time here, I’ve also been able to experience the interprofessional relationships that the Ole Miss Health and Sports Performance staff has created. There is a very close relationship with the athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and the sports nutritionist to be able to ensure the health of the athletes is always coming first.

I am excited to spend the remainder of the summer down in Oxford, MS and I can not wait to continue to grow my skillset with Division I athletes.

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.

2021 SLU AT Graduate Develops Infographic on "Adapting to a New Normal" with the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a part of her Capstone Project, Saint Louis University 2021 Master of Athletic Training Graduate Iris Herrera MAT, ATC (pending) developed an infographic: "Adapting to a New Normal - considerations for athletic trainers during COVID-19 pandemic".  SLU MAT students complete a Capstone Project, which serves as a culminating experience as they complete the professional phase of the program. 

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Iris Herrera learned through the pandemic year in a clinical practicum with preceptor Sean Wright ATC at Webster Groves High School.

PDF version available through this link

Infographic can be shared with appropriate credit.

REFERENCES

• Adams WM, Périard JD. Returning to Sport Following COVID-19: Considerations for Heat Acclimatization in Secondary School Athletics. Sports Med. 2020;50(9): 1555-1557. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01301-z 
• Amundson L. Athletic trainers playing a critical role in getting sports back safely during the pandemic. Kivitv.com. https://www.kivitv.com/news/athletic-trainers- playing-a-critical-role-in-getting-sports-back-safely-during-the-pandemic. Published 2021. Accessed April 13, 2021. 
• Caterisano, Anthony Co-Chair1; Decker, Donald Co-Chair2; Snyder, Ben Co-Chair1; Feigenbaum, Matt1; Glass, Rob3; House, Paul4; Sharp, Carwyn5; Waller, Michael6; Witherspoon, Zach2 CSCCa and NSCA Joint Consensus Guidelines for Transition Periods: Safe Return to Training Following Inactivity, Strength and Conditioning Journal: June 2019 - Volume 41 - Issue 3 - p 1-23. doi: 10.1519/SSC. 0000000000000477 
• Conley KM, Bolin DJ, Carek PJ, Konin JG, Neal TL, Violette D. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: Preparticipation physical examinations and disqualifying conditions [published correction appears in J Athl Train. 2014 Mar-Apr; 49(2):284]. J Athl Train. 2014;49(1):102-120. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-48.6.05 
• COVID-19 Return-To-Sport Considerations For Secondary School Athletic Trainers.; 2020. https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/covid_19_return-to- sport_considerations_for_secondary_school_ats_1.pdf. 
• Elliott N, Martin R, Heron N, et al Infographic. Graduated return to play guidance following COVID-19 infection British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020;54:1174-1175. 
• Güner R, Hasanoğlu I, Aktaş F. COVID-19: Prevention and control measures in community. Turk J Med Sci. 2020;50(SI-1):571-577. Published 2020 Apr 21. doi: 10.3906/sag-2004-146. 
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