March 21, 2017

SLU AT Student Benefits from Numerous Opportunities to Learn at Christian Brothers College HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Christian Brothers College High School
By: Daniel Smith (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

My clinical experiences at Christian Brothers College (CBC) High School have helped me to develop into a more well-rounded professional. At CBC, I have had the opportunity to care for numerous athletes with various pathologies. During the winter season, I have helped my preceptor, Kristen Jeans, ATC, to care for the basketball and wrestling teams. I had not had much experience working with wrestlers before so it was a valuable experience for my professional growth. At the beginning of the wrestling season, we performed hydration and body composition testing on the wrestlers to adhere to MSHSAA regulations. I also evaluated and treated acute trauma and skin conditions that affected the athletes.
At CBC, I have been able to assist Kristen with developing rehabilitation programs for injured athletes. We provide treatment for both acute and chronic injuries and strive to get the athletes back to competition as quickly as we can. We do not have the luxury of all of the modalities and equipment that might be found in a collegiate or professional athletic training room, so we have to be creative in using the resources that we have. I believe that learning to practice in this manner will be of a great benefit to me in my professional career. As the spring season begins, I will be helping Kristen to care for the baseball, volleyball, tennis, and track and field teams. I’m extremely grateful for the kindness that has been shown to me by the entire CBC community this past year.

This month I also had the opportunity to work alongside my classmates and professors at the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament. We assisted Mercy physicians with providing medical care at the tournament. Along with assisting the participating teams’ athletic trainers, we also cared for the cheerleaders, dancers, and officials involved in the tournament. I really enjoyed this experience and learned a lot about providing care for a large collegiate tournament.

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.

March 20, 2017

SLU AT Student Feels Empowered During a Year-long Ice Hockey Experience at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University-Belleville
By: Madeleine Hauck (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

This semester, I have had the opportunity to work with the Lindenwood-Belleville Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey teams. I am very grateful for this opportunity, as I have grown up around hockey and there are few opportunities to get experience with the sport. I enjoy the fast pace of the game, the physicality, and the dedication of the athletes. The demands of hockey are not for all athletes. I have come to realize that the hockey athletes I have worked with are some of the hardest working individuals I have been exposed to in my clinical experiences. I appreciate the effort that they put in on the ice, in the classroom, and in the Athletic Training room. My role as an Athletic Training Student is more rewarding when the athletes are dedicated to rehabilitating injuries and geting back on the ice sooner and healthier.
My preceptor this semester is Tim Woodstock MAT, ATC. Tim has been a great resource to learn from in my last semester as a student. He has been through an MAT program and respects my knowledge. Tim gives me the autonomy to take on whatever I would like on the ice and in the clinic under his supervision. I am able to refine my skills and feel confident in my independence. Tim also has many informational nuggets to share with me. He has a great skill for making whatever he needs out of what he has in front of him. I have learned not only different ways to manage injuries, but also how to make efficient use of what resources you have.

It has been great to be at Lindenwood-Belleville for my full year of clinicals. When I come in for treatment hours at the Athletic Training Facility, I feel very comfortable. Everyone there is a familiar and friendly face that I know trusts my skill set, but will also be there to help me whenever I need it. Being at one clinical site for a full school year has really been beneficial to understanding what it will be like when I am employed in the future. I am very thankful for everyone on the staff at Lindenwood-Belleville for taking in a Billiken for a year and providing such a great clinical site!

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.

March 19, 2017

SLU AT Student Experiences Unique Clinic Model with Athletic Trainers at Mercy Sports Medicine

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Mercy Sports Medicine Clinic
By: Stephanie Ross (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

During the month of February I had the opportunity to do my mini rotation at the Mercy Clinic and was very impressed with how they did things. I got the chance to talk with Dustin Jamboretz, MAT, ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2016), and see how he likes things there. There are primarily athletic trainers who work in that clinic, which is very cool. As I was talking with them over their lunch break, I learned that they think about the whole body and not just the injured body part like many clinics do. I think it is great that they work with one patient each at a time for 45 minutes instead of trying to work with two or more patients at a time. I was also introduced to the DMS machine, which every patient loves. DMS stands for Deep Muscle Stimulator. This machine, as it was described to me, feels like a concentrated massage in one area. They let me try using it on a real patient after watching them use it twice. The athletic trainers are also very open to having the student provide input in how to get the patient to perform an exercise properly or different ways to give cues to the patient. After you see the athletic trainers teach the patient how to perform different exercises they include you in the patient's rehabilitation by having the student explain how to do the exercise.
The athletic trainers not only include you in performing the patients exercise but they ask you questions and make sure you noticed what they saw if the patient was compensating. For example, I had the opportunity to create the exercises for a patient for their therapy session along with making changes to those exercises in order to make it easier for the patient. In addition, I had the chance to break up one end goal exercise into multiple exercises to get the patient to perform the exercise properly. I thought this was a great experience and I love that they realize that students who are with them are there to learn and practice hands on things. The Mercy clinic is a great experience because they do not just have you sit and watch what they do, like we did junior year with our observation hours, but they engage you in the patient's session.

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.

March 16, 2017

SLU AT Student Gets a Wide Range of Clinical Experiences at SIU-Edwardsville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
By: Adam Beck (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

My experience at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has been a great hands on learning experience. I have worked with a lot of the athletic trainers at SIUE, but I spend a majority of my time with the head athletic trainer Gerry Schlemer, M.S.Ed., ATC, LAT. Being the head athletic trainer Gerry has more administrative duties than the assistant athletic trainers so, not only do I get to work with NCAA Division I athletes in the athletic training room but also I get a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes such as work schedules, ordering supplies, and the process of hiring athletic trainers.
I come into the athletic training room before practices start to see the athletes and assist with any re-practice or pre-­game treatment. This gives me an opportunity to hone my skills in modalities. It also gives me a good time to interact with the athletes and get to know what they like to do for treatments and what they feel works the best to help them perform. I also assist in helping a few athletes with their rehab plans. This is a great experience that SIUE offers due to the in house rehab of their athletes. 

I’ve gotten a lot of experience with different sports at SIUE such as: men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and wrestling. Each sport giving me a new and interesting experience. Each athletic trainer helping me to gain knowledge on the sport and possible injuries, and also letting me help in the assessments of injuries. As the winter sports come to an end, baseball season is just starting up. I’m ready to see what new experiences I will get with Gerry during the season.

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.

March 14, 2017

SLU AT Students Collaborate with 2nd Year Medical Students for a Sports Medicine Skills Workshop



Sports Medicine Night with SLU Medical Students
By: Sarah Haenchen (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Society hosted a sports medicine night with SLU first and second year medical students in the sports medicine interest group. SLATS PY2 students lead the concussion, taping and spine boarding sessions. PY1s and pre-professional students participated in the event by being models for the med students to practice the newly learned skills.


Interprofessional collaboration is an important aspect in our education. Applying our knowledge and teaching the medical students helps with creating better communication and patient outcomes. This session not only taught medical students what athletic trainers do, but the athletic training students learned how physicians can help especially if they are on the sidelines.


It was really interesting to hear the different backgrounds of some of the medical students of why they want to become physicians. Most of them were athletes too, which is why they joined the sports medicine interest group. While we provide sports medicine care, we are also trained in emergency care. A few of the medical students were EMTs and knew about spine boarding. This shows that athletic trainers may work with a variety of healthcare professionals. The better knowledge and collaboration between healthcare professionals sets up better patient outcomes.


SLATS PY2 group leaders were Danny Smith and Brandi Burgett for taping, Amelia Meigs, Collin Peterson and Sarah Haenchen for spine boarding, and Olivia Robinson and Stephanie Ross for the concussion session. Alex Hubbs and Pat O’Neill were the PY1 students and Cat Chua and Erin Fabbri were pre-professional students who helped out.

SLU AT Student Finds a Welcoming Clinical Site at Parkway West High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School
By: Donielle Francis (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This semester, I have the pleasure of continuing my clinical experience at Parkway West High School, learning under the guidance of Matt Berning, ATC from Mercy Sports Medicine. I arrived at West amid the winter sports working with basketball, wrestling and swimming and diving. We are now in full swing with the spring sports which includes baseball, soccer, lacrosse, track and field, water polo, volleyball and tennis. This has given me the opportunity to work with sports that I have never worked with. Transitioning from a college clinical experience to a high school experience has been significantly different yet very beneficial. I have been able to methodically work on enhancing my injury evaluation skills, taping, as well as diving into more rehabilitation protocols.
Parkway West has been a very friendly and welcoming environment. I have been treated like a valuable member of the team from day one. Matt has showed me how important it is to have good working relationships and communication with all involved, from the Athletic Directors, to coaches, players and parents. Also, with Matt being a part of Mercy Sports Medicine, I have seen the benefit of having coordinated sports medicine care with the physicians, orthopedists, physical therapists and athletic trainers. The communication ensures that all are on the same page which is very beneficial to the student athlete.

I am truly enjoying my time at West so far and I look forward to continuing my semester here and developing my skills.

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.

March 13, 2017

SLU AT Student Benefits from Dedicated Preceptors and Diverse Experiences at Fontbonne University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Fontbonne University
By: Jenna Ginsberg (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Working as an Athletic Training Student at Fontbonne University has been a great experience so far. The unique organization of their athletic training facilities and staff has allowed me to work with multiple men and women’s teams, thus allowing me to interact with a large number of students who have a wide variety of injuries and needs. This diverse student athlete population is constantly challenging me to think in new ways, as different sports have different types of commonly seen injuries.
Working in the university setting has also given me the opportunity to practice the application of various therapeutic modalities that were not commonly used in the high school setting. Electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and laser therapy, when combined with well-­planned rehabilitation and strengthening programs are very well received and helpful to the athletes. Practicing these techniques on a day-­to-day basis has made me a more well-rounded care provider, and I look forward to becoming more skilled at writing rehabilitation plans for athletes coming back from injury in the future.

My preceptors at Fontbonne are incredibly dedicated to helping their athletes, and equally dedicated to making sure I get a great experience in the process. They are always excited to share their knowledge and ask me questions about what I have been learning in class. Ann Schmerbach MAT, ATC (2011 alum of SLU’s AT Program) and Jaci Clauson ATC work hard each day to make sure their athletes are receiving good care, and to make sure I am gaining new competencies in the field each day.

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.

March 12, 2017

SLU AT Student Has a Well-Rounded Clinical Experience at Parkway South High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway South High School
By: Wyatt Whitegoat (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Parkway South High School (PSHS) has been an incredible clinical site that has given me confidence, knowledge, and skills of becoming a well-rounded athletic trainer. Being an athletic training student at PSHS, I have been exposed to a diverse population of athletes (whether it be injured or uninjured athletes) whom have allowed me to improve and enhance their athletic abilities in their respective sports. At the core of my success for learning and application of skills has been the communication and relationship I developed with the athletes at PSHS.
In addition to the athletes, my preceptor Michael Tzianos ATC, who works as South's AT through Mercy Sports Medicine, has been a valuable resource toward the enhancement of my skills. He has provided me new and creative techniques of taping, rehabilitating, bracing, and manual therapy through a hands-on experience. In addition, Michael is remarkable one-on-one mentor with his students, in that he ensures his reasoning and application for using a certain technique. Working under and collaborating with Michael has been remarkable experience, especially with his approach of building on what I already know from a classroom setting with new approaches and techniques of treatment.

Overall, Parkway South High School has been an amazing clinical site that is preparing me to become a well-round 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.

March 11, 2017

SLU AT Students Get Multiple Experiences in a Busy Clinical Site at Missouri Baptist University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Missouri Baptist University
by Bridget Bushong, CJ Butler, Ryan Dale, and Ben Wildman (MAT Class of 2018)

Bridget Bushong - I am with the baseball team. Because there are so many athletes I get to see a wide variety of injuries and consequently, treatments. MoBap has many different modalities so I'm able to practice using them for different purposes. Being at a university has shown me a different side of athletic training because they have so many different team physicians they use. This semester I have been able to expand my skills in rehab and stretching techniques also. MoBap is a nice clinical site to be at this semester because I am learning so much and getting more hands on experience.
CJ Butler -  I am with the Missouri Baptist University wrestling team. Wrestling has been an interesting sport to cover from an athletic training standpoint because the athletes put tremendous strain on their body day after day with live wrestling, little rest and pushing through pain. They also are constantly trying to cut weight so helping them manage that in the best way possible has been challenging. This semester we have been learning the physiology and different methods for stretching and rehabilitation and I have been able to apply these functionally at MoBap nearly every day with battling frequent soreness and injuries to the athletes. My taping ability has also improved and I have started becoming more creative in the ways I tape. Wrestling causes almost any tape or wound care we apply to get damaged or come off, so learning how to quickly tape and get them back in while also using techniques that are durable has been essential. MoBap has been a change from my last site when our hands were the only modalities we had whereas I have been able to use Game Ready, cupping, estim, ultrasound, combo, scrapping, Normatec and ice baths daily. 

Ryan Dale - I have been working with the Men's Basketball, Men's Track, and Softball teams at MBU this semester. Most of my time outside of the Athletic Training Room has been spent covering Basketball games and practices, which has been exciting. I have really gotten to know the team well, and have formed trusting relationships with them. While working in the Athletic Training Room my focus with the Basketball players has primarily been assisting my preceptor (Ashley Broughton, MS, ATC) in keeping everyone healthy; We achieved this through preventative measures such as taping the athletes before games and practices and by providing plenty of postgame treatments on sore/injured areas. With Men's Track I have worked extensively with them on injury prevention through stretching and heating before practice as well as addressing any injuries before they become serious problems. Also there are a couple of injured athletes that I have been working with everyday to help them return to action. I have not worked with Softball too much yet, because I have been so busy with Basketball, but I look forward to helping them stay healthy and getting to know them. Overall I have gained a great amount of valuable experience and I have had a good time while doing it.

Ben Wildman - I am with Men's Lacrosse, Women's Track and Field, and Women's Cross-Country this semester under the guidance of my preceptor, Jamie Herron, MS, ATC, at Missouri Baptist University. Most of my time at MoBap has been split between covering Men's Lacrosse practice and spending time in the Athletic Training Room. At practices we mostly address acute injuries and stretch our athletes. After practices we return to the ATR where I complete evaluations, apply manual therapies to aid the athletes in recovering, and do rehabilitative exercises and treatments. Our athletes are required to complete weekly bands which are preventative exercises that have been selected and catered towards their respective sport. Some of these bands emphasize prevention for ACL injuries, shin splints, and shoulder instability. These are injuries that can be considered rather common to the nature of the game of lacrosse. Therefore, preventing them through strengthening and ear1y intervention is essential. I have learned different manual therapy techniques such as myofascial release through scraping, cupping, and massage. I apply these techniques on a daily basis with our athletes to aid in recovery, pain management, and rehabilitation. My time thus far at MoBap has proven to be very educational, challenging, and fun.

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.

March 10, 2017

SLU AT Student Appreciates Professional Growth Guided by Preceptor at Parkway Central HS


SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway Central High School
By: Sarah Haenchen (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

Time has gone by too fast, and I can’t believe my clinical experience at Parkway Central will be coming to an end soon. I have enjoyed working at PCHS with Mercy Sports Medicine athletic trainer and SLU athletic training graduate Michael Aaron, ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2015). Michael has challenged me by asking questions of why I do certain things during my evaluations and rehabilitation programs. This helps him figure out my thought process, but also has helped me refine my evaluations and rehabs and makes me consider the best practices based on evidence to give quality care. He also quizzes me on anatomy. This has been a great review, especially since I will be taking the Board of Certification exam soon. I have learned a lot from Michael not just with the duties of athletic training, but also personal health and well-being. I have learned to find balance in my life in order to provide excellent care to the patients.
I’m excited for the spring sports to begin. My favorite part about the upcoming spring sports season is being able to go outside and tackling the challenge of having multiple sports going on at the same time at different locations. The low demand of the winter sports season was a great time for me to learn and grow. My previous experience with Mercy Sports Medicine has helped me understand the importance of coordinated care. I was able to spend more time with my patients during rehab ensuring that they were performing the exercises correctly and reaching their goals. I was also able to review and assist in conducting selective functional movement assessments (SFMA) and give corrective exercises to patients with dysfunctional movement. During our down time, Michael and I organized the athletic training room and came up with plans to improve patient education and care for next year.


My clinical experience has shaped me to be the best clinician I can be. I’ve learned a ton throughout my experience and am determined to continue to learn. I am thankful to all the preceptors I’ve had. I appreciate all the support I have gotten from my family, the SLU AT program, my preceptors, and my friends. A special thanks goes to both Parkway South and Parkway Central for letting me be part of the healthcare team and Parkway community. I felt at home at both high schools and will never forget the great experience I had. I also want to thank Mercy Sports Medicine for their dedication to provide high standard quality sports medicine services. I can’t wait for the next step in my journey, and I am excited for my future career 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.

March 07, 2017

Saint Louis University Tips Off National AT Month at Chaifetz Arena


Saint Louis University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletic Training Program joined forces to celebrate the start of National Athletic Training Month on March 1, 2017 in conjunction with a Billikens Men's Basketball victory vs the LaSalle Explorers at Chaifetz Arena.

Dr. Breitbach takes a pic with the SLU students who made this event a success.
There were many activities held that night to celebrate the event.  SLU's 13 Certified Athletic Trainers were recognized in a pregame announcement and presentation on the Chaifetz Arena video boards.

SLATS booth to promote the AT profession on the arena concourse.
The members of the SLU Athletic Training Society (SLATS) had an infomational booth on the arena concourse to promote #NATM2017.  They also had a Photo Booth to commemorate the event.

SLU President Dr. Fred Pestello joined in on the fun!
Additionally, the students in the Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club also attended the event.  The RHS AT Club is sponsored for the 3rd straight year by the SLU AT Program through a grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Council.  

RHS AT Club on the Chaifetz Arena court prior to the game.
The club utilizes SLU AT students to mentor and teach RHS students about AT and the health professions.

SLU staff member Petra Knight ATC takes time to talk to the RHS AT Club.
Thank you to all of the students, staff, faculty and administration that made this evening a great success!

March 01, 2017

SLU AT Student Reflects on her Experience at the 2017 NATA iLead Student Leadership Conference



2017 National Athletic Trainers' Association iLead Student Leadership Conference
By: Amelia Meigs (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

In February 2017, I had the privilege to attend the NATA iLead Student Leadership Conference for student leadership in athletic training with two other students from Saint Louis University: Stephanie Ross and Collin Peterson. If the 10 pages of notes doesn’t demonstrate the value of the NATA iLead conference, then surely the many connections made during the weekend does. The value of meeting students from different athletic training programs cannot be understated—learning how other schools educate and promote the growth of students can teach us about the variety of experiences an athletic training education can provide. I met two students from my home state of Washington—something I didn’t expect when heading down to Dallas, TX. I was also privileged enough to meet students from Missouri (my current home) but studying elsewhere.


The presentations at iLead were carefully crafted and chosen, and each held value to my leadership development. The presentation by Dr. Scott Bruce on ethics allowed me to build my skills discerning the appropriate response to difficult situations I may face in my career. I learned how my upholding of the NATA ethical standards will demonstrate to my colleagues, superiors, and community the high level of ethics athletic trainers are held to and advance the profession. The standardized patient experience, while already a part of my athletic training education program, reinforced the integration of classroom skills into practical situations, and left me knowledgeable about the skills required to be an outstanding athletic trainer.

Dr. Malissa Martin presented on post-professional programs, and allowed me to begin crafting not only a vision for my future, but a method to get there. The presentation by EDAC representatives Murphy Grant, Dr. Marnie Vanden Noven, Dr. Dani Moffit, and Dr. Kysha Harriell allowed me to build practical knowledge and skills about cultural competence and its effect on athletic training. The networking presentation by President Scott Sailor left me with practical skills to build my network and the confidence to begin. Throughout the conference, education I already had was reinforced and improved by practical applications directly to my career.


I was extremely privileged to be sponsored by the Missouri Athletic Trainer’s Association to attend iLead. The weekend taught me the importance of athletic trainers and how to articulate my value. I came back with practical skills and knowledge that I will apply to my career before and upon graduating this May. I am so appreciative of the lessons taught and path paved for me by the current leaders of the NATA and state associations. This experience was one we as students will never forget.