SLU AT Student Builds Clinical Skills and Acquires New "Tools" at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School 

By: Courtney Nall (MAT Class of 2020) 

I have the pleasure of being at Parkway West High School for my Spring clinical site with preceptor Matt Berning MAT, ATC from Mercy Sports Medicine. Coming from a university setting, things are a bit different at the high school setting. Parkway West does not have as many modalities as my previous clinical site. I have enjoyed learning how to care for and manage injuries with the resources that are at our disposal. I have also learned some new taping techniques that Matt likes to use. I like learning new techniques that I am able to keep in my “tool kit”.

Every day starts with taking care of the kids that come into the training room after school. We tape ankles and wrists, monitor kids who are doing their exercises as well as determine what injured athletes are going to be able to do that day. After everyone goes out to practice, we head outside and make our rounds in the golf cart. We stop by each of the teams that are practicing, checking to see how everyone is doing. If there is someone that needs to seen, we will head right over to where they are. Matt makes it a fun and easy learning environment where I feel comfortable getting critiqued and asking questions. I look forward to learning from him every day.

Being the only SLU student at West has allowed many more opportunities for me to practice what I know. I appreciate that Matt lets me do evaluations on my own first. These are chances for me to put my knowledge and skills to the test as well as build up my confidence. Spring sports have recently started, and we are already much busier in the training room. I am excited for the many learning opportunities ahead. I am eager to see what the rest of the semester has in store for me.

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 Grows and Learns in Supportive Environment at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School

By: Claire Ditman (SLU MAT Class of 2020)

This August I began my first professional year in the Master of Athletic Training program at Saint Louis University. With this, I began my clinical placement at Parkway West High School under the supervision of my preceptor, Matt Berning, MAT, ATC. Although Matt is the athletic trainer at Parkway West, he works for Mercy Sports Medicine. This allows for a cool opportunity to work directly with sports medicine doctors from Mercy, as well. Because of this, we follow Mercy's protocols and standards for treatment of out athletes in order to provide the best care possible.

With an enrollment of around 1500 students, Parkway West is a large public high school with many different sports teams.  This fall we have covered thirteen different teams ranging in size from a few athletes to close to 100. With a wide variety of athletes under our care, I have gotten the opportunity to see many different injuries and go about assisting Matt in the process of helping the athlete return to play. Luckily, we have not had any life-threatening injuries yet, however, we have had quite a few concussion that have been very educational to see.

Overall, Parkway West has been a great first clinical experience and introduction to clinical work. I have already gotten lots of hands on experience and have gotten the opportunity to further my skills a great deal in a short time. Matt, as well as the coaches and athletic department at West, are great at giving students the chance to grow and learn within the profession, as well as, being welcoming and making them feel comfortable.

I could not have asked for a better first experience with clinical work!

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 How Classroom Learning Integrates with Clinical Experience at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School

By: Cody Hutson (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

During my time at Parkway West High School I have learned greatly about how to present one’s self as well as apply skills that we as students have learned in class. It is important to have confidence as an athletic trainer because while in the high school setting, everything we say will be taken seriously and a building of trust with the athletes is crucial to the healing process.

There are also opportunities to be less serious and can joke around with those around us, but we need to maintain a degree of respect and professionalism. Just because we are dealing with energetic high school athletes does not mean that we can forget who and what we represent and lose sight on the responsibilities given to us while at work.

It is strangely fun being able to go back to the same site every day but returning with a new technique or piece of knowledge that I could wield to be more useful to the athletic trainer that I am studying under. Having the opportunity to use something I was able to learn that day leaves a bigger impression and makes the information easier for me to remember than simply just in the classroom setting.

Being able to gain confidence on a nearly daily basis is a good feeling and I appreciate everything my preceptor Matthew Berning, ATC, the Parkway West staff, and the student athletes have done for me.

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 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.

SLU AT Student Gets a Wide Variety of Experiences at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School
By: Amelia Meigs (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

For my final year at SLU, I have the privilege of working with athletes at Parkway West High School under Matt Berning, ATC from Mercy Sports Medicine. With over 500 athletes for fall sports, Parkway West is constantly busy. The athletic training room is constantly filled with athletes needing care. Typically we make the rounds each day after the initial after-school rush by visiting each team that is practicing or has a game. The variety of sports at West has allowed me opportunity to learn about sport-specific return to play for sports I have not previously worked with such as tennis, field hockey, and swimming.

This semester we have had a wide variety of injuries and situations that have aided my professional development. It is a pleasure to work with the staff members and Matt each day. Matt and I have collaborated to work with several coaches on sport-specific prevention plans and with specific athletes. We have gotten to work closely with coaches and the athletic director, allowing me to see a new side to athletic training.

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.

New SLU AT Student Gains Appreciation for the Work of the High School AT at Parkway West

New AT Student Blog Post - Misri Patel (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This semester, I had the opportunity to observe Athletic Trainer Matt Berning ATC and a SLU PY2 student Rachel Spika at Parkway West High School. In my time there, I was able to see and understand the day of an athletic trainer in a high school setting. To begin with, it started with meeting the students one-on-one after school, doing a daily checkup or a routine exercise with them. After the checkups, the trainer would go around observing different practices and get an idea of what is going on with each sport that day. Throughout the day he managed to meet with all the athletes, and was involved in helping the coaches and athletes maintain a safe, healthy environment to play in.

This experience allowed me to witness an athletic trainer’s standard day working at a high school. Before this opportunity I had never given much consideration into working at a high school level, nevertheless, after observing at this clinical site I feel like high schools offer a wide variety of sports to work with and a very friendly environment. Shadowing at this high school has been an extremely positive experience, the staff is open and friendly, and the athletic trainer showed much enthusiasm in teaching me various skills practiced on the field.

This is one of a series of blog posts written by students entering the professional phase of the SLU AT Program as a part of MAT 3000 - AT Student Development II.

SLU AT Student Appreciates Autonomy and Trust Provided by Preceptor at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School

By: Rachel Spika (MAT Class of 2016)

For my final semester in the SLU Athletic Training Program, I am continuing my clinical rotation experience at Parkway West High School. My first semester at West was largely about getting to know my preceptor, Matt Berning MAT, LAT, ATC, our athletes, and many of the school staff members and coaches. One of my biggest priorities was building strong, trusting relationships with all of these people in order to develop the best communication pathways and highest quality of patient care.  

I would describe the focus of my current, and final, semester at West to be on my own independence in terms of critical thinking and decision-making skills. My preceptor has stepped back more in the past couple of months, and he encourages me to conduct my patient, coach, and parent interactions on my own. I go through injury evaluations and rehabilitations, treatments, documentation, and contact with parents and coaches as if I am already a certified athletic trainer. This has been extremely beneficial for my professional development, especially as my BOC exam date looms closer and closer. 

This semester has also provided many opportunities for me to dive deeper into a few particular topics of interest to me within athletic training. I recently gained experience with administering the Functional Movement Screen to some of our basketball athletes. My preceptor and I have been collaborating with West’s strength and conditioning specialist to create rehabilitative and preventative exercises for our athletes in order to address and correct deficits that were noted during the screen. This is just one of the many ways that my time at Parkway West has benefited my professional development and therefore my quality of patient care in my future career. I look forward to continuing this growth throughout the upcoming spring sports 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.

SLU AT Student Getting Excellent Professional Development Experience at Parkway West HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Parkway West High School

By: Rachel Spika (SLU MAT Class of 2016)

For my final year in the SLU Athletic Training Program, I have the privilege of spending my full-year clinical rotation at Parkway West High School. West is a school of about 1280 students, many of whom participate in highly competitive classes of Missouri high school athletics. We are in the midst of finishing up our fall sports season and gearing up for winter sports. This fall I gained experience working with athletes and injuries in football, soccer, softball, cross country, field hockey, swimming, volleyball, and tennis.  

Each day I work under the supervision and direction of my preceptor, Matt Berning M.AT, LAT, ATC. I enjoy working with and learning from him because he recognizes the stage I am at in my education and therefore gives me a lot of responsibility. He provides me with many hands-on learning opportunities by expecting me to work on my own whether it be with injury evaluations, rehab protocols, documentation, return to play decisions, or communication with coaches and other staff members. He is always there to assist me if needed and give me constructive criticism, and we have had some great conversations about how to provide the best care for our athletes. This process has been very instrumental in my professional development, because it forces me to ask myself what I would do in certain situations if I were on my own without a preceptor, as will be the case next year after I graduate.

When I say that I am privileged to have been placed at West, it is no exaggeration. The entire community - coaches, staff, athletes - have been extremely welcoming. Ever since I started on the first day of fall sports, I have been treated like a valued member of the staff. Being seen by others as a health care professional, combined with the autonomy granted to me by my preceptor, has increased not only my confidence and skill set but my professionalism as well. I am growing as a student and person each day I am at West, and I look forward to all I have yet to learn and experience over the course of the school year.

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.