SLU AT Students Receive Degrees at 2017 Graduation Ceremonies

The Saint Louis University Master of Athletic Training Class of 2017 graduates were recognized on Friday, May 19, 2017 in the Doisy College of Health Sciences Pre-Commencement Ceremony at Chaifetz Arena.

Congratulations to the 2017 Master of Athletic Training degree recipients:

Maxwell W.H. Alander
Brandi Michele Burgett
Bailey L. Draheim
Ali Nicole Graham
Sarah Marie Haenchen
Madeleine Irene Hauck
Morgan Jay Jasperson 
Brianna Christine LaBarbera
Katherine Elizabeth Love
Amelia Rae Meigs
Collin Edward Peterson
Olivia Rose Robinson
Stephanie Amber Ross
Daniel Richard Smith
Stephanie Anne Uhrich

Students from the SLU MAT Class of 2018 in the 3+2 MAT program also received Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degrees.

Degrees were officially conferred at the SLU University Commencement on Saturday, May 20 2017 at Chaifetz Arena.

SLU AT Students Enjoy Learning Through Collaboration at Washington University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University Athletics
By: Max Alander, Bailey Draheim and Brianna LaBarbera (SLU MAT Class of 2017); and Emily Mott, Patrick O'Neill and Wyatt Whitegoat (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

Thus far, Washington University (WashU) in Saint Louis has been an experiential and knowledgeable clinical site for both Saint Louis University’s Professional Year (PY) I and II students. At WashU, Athletic Training students are able to apply knowledge gained from a lecture based environment to a hands-on role, including wound care treatment, modality treatment, and injury assessment. In addition, PY I and II students are able to develop and guide a rehabilitation program that allows an athlete’s return to play getting the athlete back to play quickly but not before they are fully healed.

An athlete’s return to play is achieved with the collaboration of athletic training students and the interaction of certified athletic trainers. The certified staff at WashU includes Head Athletic Trainer, Rick Larsen ATC, and three assistant Athletic Trainers, Jim Anderson ATC, Jacob Blasingame ATC, and Mary Tarzon ATC. Working under and in collaboration with all four Athletic Trainers has definitely been one of the unique and beneficial aspects of being placed at Washington University for our clinical experience. For instance, certified athletic trainers allow PY II’s to refine and incorporate skills learned from previous clinical sites while learning new approaches for treatment. In addition, certified athletic trainers, with the assistance of PY II’s, allow PY I students to mold, obtain, and apply new methods of diagnosing, evaluating, and taping; so that, students are able to incorporate to future clinical sites and practice.

Furthermore, beyond the collaboration of students and certified athletic trainers, the sport (either Football or Soccer) that the Athletic Training students are assigned provides a variety of exposure to injuries, either acute or chronic. Thus, enhancing students immediate application of hands on experience to injuries gained from class and prior clinical sites. In addition, WashU’s brand new and innovative athletic training room obtained with a variety of equipment (LASER, AlterG, Underwater treadmill, and a rehabilitation area) allows students to apply and gain a variety of skills for future practice.

Overall, WashU is an incredible clinical site that aids in our growth and development as athletic training students by always teaching us new, yet diverse, ways to practice our 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.

SLU AT Student Builds Clinical Skills and Cultural Competence Internationally at Athlone Institute of Technology

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Athlone Institute of Technology - Ireland
By: Maxwell Alander (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

The draw to spend our summer in Ireland at Athlone Institute of Technology may seem obvious. Being able to work with novel sports such as Gaelic football and hurling while learning new methods adopted by other parts of the world was hardly what any of us imagined before this opportunity presented itself. Our preceptor, Dr. Siobhan O’Connor did a wonderful job facilitating our experience by including not only clinical placements but also providing guest lectures on topics that are relevant to the profession. 

Time at our clinical site was spent between AIT athletics, county level Gaelic football and hurling, and researching fundamental movement skills in adolescents. Throughout these clinical experiences we were given all the freedom we wanted in the evaluation and treatment of athletes, often practicing new techniques on uninvolved limbs while athletic trainers within the program at AIT performed treatments on the injured extremity. Needless to say we were busy. 

Despite all of the time spent working on practical skills, we all agree that our biggest take away was from the cultural experiences in athletic training and healthcare as a whole. Operating in a rural country with a much different healthcare infrastructure has created a need for accessible healthcare professionals. Working in this environment truly helped develop the bond between patient and professional, something we all hope to bring to our athletes back home. 

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required 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 has Varied Experiences at Mercy's Sports Medicine and Post Concussion Clinics

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight- Mercy Sports Medicine and Mercy Children’s Post Concussion Clinic, St. Louis, MO

By: Olivia Robinson (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

I have had an awesome experience working with two Mercy clinics this summer. I have learned so many new things that I will be able to take into my PY2 year and future career as an Athletic Trainer. 

I have been working with Amanda Keenan, ATC, under Sarah W. Alander, MD, at Mercy Children’s Post Concussion Clinic. At the clinic we work with kids under 18, who have sustained head injuries. Most of the patients we see have had multiple concussions, or have symptoms lasting for long periods of time. We track the patients with ImPACT testing, BESS testing, and keep up with them regularly. We treat some of the patients for post concussion migraines, but we have also been able to treat them with therapy as well. I love working under Dr. Alander. She has taught me so much about concussions and has let me become very involved in the clinic. 

I have also been at Mercy Sports Medicine Clinic working with Amanda Keenan, ATC, Maghan Mulloy, ATC, and Katie Mazzaferro, ATC, DPT. At this clinic we work with athletes of all ages. We take a whole body approach to treatment. We use Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) and the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to take a look at how the body works. These can point out issues the athlete might have that could make them prone to injury. We focus strongly on manual therapy and functional movement to alleviate pain. I have been able to make my own plans with some of the athletes and have learned so many new techniques from my preceptors.

I have loved working at both of these Mercy clinics. I will always use what they have taught me, and I’m so glad I got to spend the summer with them all!

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program have a required 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 Students Enjoy a Dynamic and Positive Learning Experience at Webster Groves HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Alissa Beeman (MAT Class of 2016) and Max Alander (MAT Class of 2017)

This spring we are doing our athletic training clinical rotation at Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, MO. Sean Wright, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Webster Groves, provides copious amounts of challenges to always further develop our clinical skills. Regardless of the situation, whether it’s a new tape job or new type of trauma, he expects our full presence and participation so that this new experience will no longer be new to us in our future.

Alissa has been here since last August, and she is very comfortable with her role everyday. The athletes and coaches are now familiar which makes this line of work a lot more enjoyable. We've been exposed to working with other interprofessional health care providers such as physicians, physician assistants and counselors. Working with these professionals has been valuable in that it forces us out of our comfort zone, which ultimately makes us better clinicians.

One really great thing about working with Sean is he is always pushing us to learn new things. If we have down time in the training room, he’ll pull out the orthoplast and tell us to make him a splint. If we have an athlete walk in for rehab, he encourages us to present him with new exercises, and not use the same ones as we did last time. His persistence to constantly better us as clinicians is inspiring and unparalleled.

Our experience this spring has been such a positive one. To say we will leave here better clinicians with an heightened skill set is an understatement. We are pushed everyday to be the best we can be, and we are so very grateful for that. We are looking forward to continuing our learning as we dive into the last season of sports here at Webster Groves.

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.

Veteran Preceptors Create a Great Learning Experience for SLU AT Students at Washington University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Washington University Athletics

By: Demeisha Crawford, Andrea Strebler and Jack Dunlap (SLU MAT Class of 2016) and Ali Graham and Max Alander (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

“Da Bears” of Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) have welcomed SLU Athletic Training Students for years. We, Demeisha, Ali, Max, Jack and Andrea, are lucky to have such a unique experience for fall 2015 at WUSTL. August came with football preseason, physicals, new PY1’s, PY2’s, and Spain foreign exchange students.  Carlos and Javier are Sports Physiotherapists attending University of Camilo Jose Cela in Madrid. We were extremely lucky to have them for preseason August 2015. Both students were extremely intelligent and had this contagious love for sports. Javier in particular was a competitive swimmer and shared with us his capstone of aquatic rehabilitation in various stages of rehabilitation.  Even with English as there second language; they were able to communicate and teach us new valuable information in rehab especially. We were sad to see them go but wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Football at WUSTL started August 10th and has been full swing ever since. We have experienced many injuries over the past two months and have become familiar with the management and processes for return to play. Anything from anterior shoulder dislocation to turf toe have been assessed, evaluated and treated under the supervision of two very intelligent preceptors; Rick Larsen ATC and SLU Alum Jacob Blasingame ATC. Both of our preceptors try hard day after day to teach us proper techniques, normal management and skills of assessment for optimum health care for our athletes. They are committed to helping us grow into the Athletic Trainers we aspire to be.

Andrea Strebler pictured with her parents at WUSTL Soccer Match.

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.