SLU AT Students Apply Knowledge and Skills in Team Approach with SLU Billikens Men's Basketball

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics 
By: Stacie Galo and Eldwin Neritani (MAT Class of 2023)

During our clinical experience SLU Men’s Basketball, we have been fortunate to learn from our preceptor Jonathan Burch ATC and the rest of the athletic training staff. On top of the athletic training staff at SLU, we have had the opportunity to talk to and interact with the rest of the sports medicine staff as well, including team physician Dr. Kaar. We have been able to apply the knowledge and skills we have learned over the last year from our previous clinical rotations and classes to help the athletes however we can. Being able to be a part of this staff and to work with these high-level athletes has been a great experience that has been a great step into us learning how to manage ourselves as we grow in the profession.

The time we have spent so far applying our knowledge and seeing how thing are done here has been very worthwhile. Even though it is still early in the season, we have already been tasked with providing treatment to the athletes. Utilizing the variety of modalities SLU has to offer, we have a good opportunity to be creative in our treatment plans and experience everything there is to offer in the athletic training room. Being part of this high-level environment has also been quite the learning experience, as we both have learned more about the dynamics and relationships between medical staff, coaches, and players. Having the chance to work with this team has given us a great hands-on experience that has been valuable in our growth as athletic training students, and soon to be certified athletic trainers. One of the biggest changes we have experienced as PY2s at SLU is the larger number of responsibilities we have. This includes keeping records and logging all injuries and treatments of the players, as well as having more freedom and input in what we think would be a good choice of action for treatment and rehabilitation.

As the season progresses, we have enjoyed the experience of preparing for the start of the official season. Being able to learn from the athletic training staff and learn their approaches and practices has been great to help us tailor how we want to approach things as well. This has been a great experience so far and will only get more exciting as the season truly begins.

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 Values Learning from Multiple Preceptors at Lutheran HS South

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lutheran High School South

By: Lauren Swords (MAT Class of 2023)

This semester my clinical rotation has been at Lutheran South with SSM Health Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers Cara Bowton ATC (SLU alum) and Laura Shellaberger ATC. It has been super fun and unique to get to learn from two preceptors. I am mostly working with football, volleyball, soccer, cross country, and softball. It’s been nice to be back in the high school setting after almost a year.

So far I have been practicing my skills in rehab and evaluation. We have had some significant acute and chronic injuries, so I am excited to be seeing a spectrum. For our rehab, I am getting to work closely with athletes as they strengthen their bodies each day. I am getting to see return to play in these athletes as well so its great to witness the full circle. 

I very much appreciate how hands-on I’ve been this semester and look forward to gaining more experience and confidence as the year continues.  

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.

Athletic Therapy Student from Ireland Appreciates Opportunity to Learn with Elite-Level Soccer at Saint Louis University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics 

By: Tiernan Collins (TUS-Ireland Athletic Therapy Student)

This fall I made the journey from the west of Ireland to Saint Louis University for my clinical experience. After being kindly welcomed by Dr. Breitbach and Dr. Howell, who helped tremendously in coordinating my exchange from Ireland, I was introduced to my clinical supervisor/preceptor Angie Bradley ATC. Angie is currently the athletic trainer for the SLU women’s soccer team. She kindly took me on as her student for the semester after I had expressed my interest in getting involved with the soccer program.

From day one it has been everything I hoped for and more. Even within these first month I have seen what it is like to work with and be part of such an elite level program. Coming from a soccer background and with aspirations to one day pursue a career in a soccer organization, the experience I am gaining from my clinical site is phenomenal. In my short time here, I have already dealt with such a variety of injuries, from a simple turf burn, all the way to post-op hip arthroscopy, and many in between. Each week I have multiple opportunities to practice my rehab skills and improve my knowledge on all the different treatment modalities. I have also seen how training loads and other daily activities can be monitored each week and utilized in an injury prevention scheme which thought was particularly interesting.

The experience so far has given me an insight into life as an athletic trainer in an extremely professional environment. It is providing me the opportunity to deal with situations that could only be seen in the field on practice. I am excited to see what the remainder of the semester has to offer and to continue to grow my abilities 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.

SLU AT Student Builds Clinical Skills and Professional Development with Washington University Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University Athletics

By: Mason Remeis (MAT Class of 2023)

This semester I have returned to Washington University in St. Louis primarily primarily with football responsibilities, but it looks much different than it did a year ago.  The Head Athletic Trainer from last season took a new position at a new university and we are currently in a transition, so there is currently not an athletic trainer on staff who is solely in charge of the football team.  On top of that, there is only one other student who is working with the team for the time being.  That being said, we have been able to make things work.  There are two ATs on staff that both help out the football team during practices, games, and treatments.  It was interesting to see how the players reacted to having to work with new ATs.  It seems like the players were able to get comfortable and gain an overall trust pretty quickly.  As for me personally, since I was there working with them last year, I already had a relationship with most of the players so the transition back was very easy.  I do find it beneficial though to get to work with the other ATs more now and see how they tend to treat certain injuries or how they run things.  

The typical day consists of coming in for treatments, setting up the field for practice or game, taping, being out on the field during the practice or game, and ending with post-practice treatments.  Now that I am in my second year in the graduate school program, and also due to there not being one designated AT for the football team, my overall responsibilities have increased.  I have continued to set up and assist with different modalities that I have already had a lot of experience with, but have also gotten to work with some other modalities that I haven’t necessarily worked with as much.  The most common treatments include e-stim, Game-Ready, and Graston.  I have gotten to work with the underwater treadmill, and set up other e-stim variants like Biowave or Marc Pro. I also have been able to evaluate injuries and then create rehab plans for the athletes.  

I have consistently seen my responsibilities increase each semester of clinicals up to this point.  A lot of it has to do with me being further down the line in school and experience, but also I have done a good job of gaining the trust from my preceptor and the players to where I am able to be fully hands on and be in control when an injury occurs or when an athlete comes into the training room.  I continue to learn more about what I need to work on and I have also seen growth in my overall skills.  This experience has been very beneficial so far and I expect that the semester will just continue to improve as the season moves forward.

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 Thrive in an Exciting Learning Environment at John Burroughs School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - John Burroughs School

By: Giovanna Charles (MAT Class of 2023) and Grace Golembiewski, Brandon Pavon and Karsen Kohl (MAT Class of 2024)

John Burroughs School, JBS, has been an exciting experience for all of us. We enjoy

learning from our preceptor, Dean Tiffany, ATC, as well as other Certified Athletic Trainers that

come every once in a while to help when we get busy. With the different levels of knowledge and

years in Athletic Training, we all bring something very different yet special to the table. This

prestigious high school brings a lot of unique experiences while also more common experiences.

Those experiences include a dislocated elbow, an UCL injury, ACL and MCL instability injuries,

concussions as well as the more common ankle sprains, Osgood Schlatter and a couple of bloody

wounds from the turf.

Upon our arrival at JBS, we got right in the midst of things covering football's preseason

practices. We quickly went over helmet and shoulder pad removal as well as stabilizing the C

spine, how to evaluate the ankle and knee in addition to being taught the “correct” way to tape an

ankle by our preceptor. We have also been covering the other fall sports such as Cheerleading,

Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boy’s Soccer, Volleyball, Swim, Golf, and Tennis.

We get the opportunity to evaluate athletes as well as tape those that need it. Not only did we

learn a new way to tape ankles, we were also taught by our preceptor how to tape the achilles,

shin splints, turf toe, arch taping for plantar fasciitis, along with learning how to make an ankle

cast with elastikon. JBS is also fortunate enough to have a handful of modalities we get to use

everyday. Once the after school rush ends, we help in the rehab aspect for the athletes and

provide on-field and/or court assistance to the team’s games.

The experience has been exciting since our arrival, and it's only going to get even better

throughout the rest of the semester from here. Everyday is new and has brought new experiences

to all of us to remember that we will be able to carry along with us for the future. As our time at

JBS continues to grow, we have gotten more comfortable and involved which has allowed more

athletes, their coaches and Dean to understand our role. We enjoy the countless opportunities and

hours spent at JBS and cannot wait to see how much we continue to grow throughout the

process.

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 Makes the Most of Opportunities to Learn at Fontbonne University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Fontbonne University

By: Nia Callion (MAT Class of 2024)

When I first arrived at Fontbonne University, the traffic seemed slow, which could be due to it being so

early in the season and no one was feeling too nicked and bruised or if it was going to be a slower paced clinical site. I tried to make it work in my favor by taking advantage of the ‘free time’ by doing things like reading and learning the emergency action plans thoroughly so that I would have a good understanding of my role in the athletic training room. I also took that time to become familiar with how to use a lot of equipment in the athletic training so that when athletes did come in I was prepared to assist my preceptor in the best way possible.

After the first week or so things did start to pick up and I began learning a lot more from my preceptors Samantha Hochmuth ATC and Clay Thebeau ATC; so much so that it felt like an advanced course. I have seen an Athlete who came into their season with a partially torn ACL rehab and worked to play in their season before getting surgery in the winter. I have also seen and been learning about trigger point releases and manual massages on athletes who are experiencing muscle tension and or pain. I was expecting to be doing a lot more taping and working on my taping skills, but I haven't really done too much taping outside of game days when the athletes would like their wrist wrapped or ankles taped before games. I’m happy that the pace has picked up a bit and that I am getting more hands on opportunities in the athletic training room.

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 the Opportunity to Build Clinical Skills in New Context at Maryville University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Maryville University Athletics

By: Jordan Hyink (MAT Class of 2023)

During my clinical experience this semester at Maryville University, I have had the pleasure of learning from preceptor Austin DeBoer ATC. Austin works mainly with women’s soccer, men’s wrestling, and swim/dive during the course of the school year. However, I also get to experience many of the other 15 men’s and women’s sports that Maryville has while spending time in the athletic training room during the day. I have been exposed to the ins and outs of working at the NCAA D2 college level and I have gotten an in-depth look at what a future in college sports could look like. 

My clinical experience with women’s soccer has been a wonderful time. The team, coaches, and other ATs have made me feel very welcomed and include me in all team activities helping me build professional relationships with all parties. I have been able to learn new taping/bracing techniques, IASTM techniques, and quick emergency care on the field. Austin has been wonderful at explaining all the different rules of soccer and what that means for treating different types of injuries (on-field vs on the side-lines). It has been a very good educational experience thus far and I am excited for all the future experiences that I will have the opportunity to observe/participate in while at Maryville and working with Austin.  

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 Appreciates Preceptor's Role in his Professional Development with Billiken Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics 

By: Alexander Smith (MAT Class of 2023)

Getting a chance to learn alongside my preceptor Elena Melillo, ATC, has been nothing but excitement. I have gotten the chance to be a part of multiple sports so far just from Elena being helpful for others in the athletic training room. These opportunities have helped me understand how each sport’s treatments can differ based on the needs. From this, I have had to adapt based on the sport’s needs, whether it be cross country runners, basketball players, or soccer players and how they can perform well. I have gotten the opportunity to learn from Elena. She has always given me the opportunity to assess patients, instruct them on the next steps, monitor rehab exercises, and provide treatment when appropriate. 

Days always include early arrival to the athletic training room for any athletes that have appointments. Then, I wait for which team needs treatment or pre-practice tapes. From there, we make our way to practice and watch practice. After practice, I head back to the athletic training room and wait for any post-practice treatment if the athletes need any. It is a simple day when under my clinical experience with Elena. 

During my new experience, it has brought many changes. Adapting to each new sport has brought new challenges but also new opportunities. Each new coach and athlete that I work with has welcomed me and my services. Even when the women’s basketball team has a new coach, she welcomes me and includes me in everything. And with Elena, she allows me to work at my pace as well as instruct me in what to do. This opportunity has been exciting and is allowing me to grow into a future 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.

SLU AT Student Comes Full Circle Through Clinical Experience by Returning to his Alma Mater at Alton HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Alton High School

By: Alex Davis (SLU MAT Class of 2023)

This year, my clinical experience is at Alton High School with preceptor Andy Renner, LAT, ATC.  This has been a great experience for me because I am again working with another AT in the Southwestern Conference in Illinois.  This conference has some great AT's working in it, and I am very blessed to have worked with some of them and at least met most of them.  It’s also a little weird because I graduated from Alton HS back in 2017.  Some things have changed, and some things haven’t.  This past year, they have built a new AT training room for Andy which is great because we are able to see more athletes at one time due to the increase in size from his previous athletic training room.  They have also built a new auxiliary gym which also means multiple games are now happening that need to be covered.  This is keeping us quite busy almost every day.  

The focus this year at clinicals is to learn more about the administration side of the job while also getting in as much practice and developing my own style.  Administration is a class we are taking right now so there are topics we have not covered yet in the class that I think learning about in clinicals will make it easier to learn and talk about in the future.  Last fall, I was able to work with two ATs and we also had a AT student from McKendree University.  However, it's nice this semester with it just being Andy so that I can get as much hands-on experience that I can get that I haven’t been able to get at my other clinical sites due to the number of ATs or AT students.

Andy is a great preceptor, and I am happy to be back at Alton High School.  I am looking forward to a great rest of the school year and I hope sometime in the future that he gets another SLU student to teach.

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.