SLU AT Student Gets Experience on a Large Scale with Select Medical at ESPN Wide World of Sports

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Select Medical at ESPN Wide World of Sports

By: Justin Ullom (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

My clinical experience with Select Medical at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida has been a crazy ride. I have been pleasantly surprised by the experiences I have had here. The ability to network with numerous Athletic Trainers in the Florida area is amazing, especially given that I eventually want to work my way to a coast after college. 

It has been wonderful to experience such a wide variety of sports. In the first few weeks alone, I have been assigned to wrestling, softball, volleyball, and baseball. Since we are the only medical providers of the complex, we also take care of the general population. This means that at any given time, there is anywhere from ten thousand to forty thousand people participating at the site.  

I was not initially ecstatic about most events are with a younger community, as my aspirations involve working with more elite-level athletes. However, most of these younger athletes are extremely talented with colleges looking at them and their level of play is at a high level.   

My confidence in my emergency response skills has improved dramatically throughout this experience as well. In a short time, I have already utilized a spine-board as well as splinting with vacuum splints before sending someone to the hospital. There have also been times where we are the first responders to a spectator having a heart attack working together with EMS personnel. 

Fifty or more hours per week, on top of getting this experience with emergencies, it gives me a very accurate idea of what it will be like to be an Athletic Trainer and I cannot be more excited for it. 

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 Returns Home to the Sunshine State for a Summer Internship Experience

Summer Internship Blog Post - Pensacola State College
By: Shannon Kane (MAT Class of 2015)

Pensacola State College has three main campuses in the Pensacola area.  The Pensacola campus is where the sports teams practice, live, and play.  Select Medical and Select Physical Therapy provide AT, PT, and sports medicine services to the athletes attending PSC.  Pensacola State College, formerly Pensacola Junior College, is a community college with a variety of degrees and programs available, including many Associate’s degrees and an exceptional BSN program.

This summer I have definitely been busy!  Phil Loesch ATC, the Assistant Athletic Trainer, is also the strength and conditioning coach for the volleyball, softball, and women’s basketball teams.  I get to come along to morning workouts and get some experience helping him coach.  A strength and conditioning certification is something I am very interested in pursuing in addition to athletic training, and this wonderful experience has helped me get a better look at this career path.

It is summer, so many of the sports are not in season, but the Pensacola State Athletic Department hosts many summer camps for children ranging from 5 year olds to high schoolers.  I have had the opportunity to run warm ups, give talks about the importance of hydration, and provide athletic training services, along with the ATCs, to the softball, baseball, basketball, and volleyball camps.

Deb Lee ATC, Shannon Kane and Phil Loesch ATC

Ken Byrd PT, ATC, who is an athletic trainer and a physical therapist, comes over to the athletic training room a couple times a week so that the student athletes don’t have to go to the clinic.  Ken has a great personality, and has been so much fun to work with.  He takes time out to make sure that I learn something every time I am with him.  If I have not seen something new that day, he asks me what I want to learn.  We have discussed everything from the Graston Technique and joint mobilizations, to the physiology behind the healing process and the use of modalities.

Deb Lee ATC is the Head Athletic Trainer at Pensacola State.  She has been with Select Physical Therapy for almost 20 years.  Her southern accent and huge smile are enough to make anyone’s day better.  She is very smart, and has helped me grow as an athletic training student.

At PSC, although I have been there for a very short time, I feel like part of the family!  The atmosphere is always light-hearted and welcoming.  The relationship of respect and trust that Deb and Phil have developed with the coaching staff, not only for them as people, but as professionals, has carried over to me.  The coaches all respect what I have to say, and have welcomed me as one of their own.  It will be a sad day when I have to leave the Pensacola State family!  I have learned a lot, but the summer is not over yet.  I look forward to the adventures to come!

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required internship in the summer between their two professional years in the program. This blog post details a student's reflection on their internship experience.