SLU AT Student Improves Clinical Skills with Preceptor at St. Mary's High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - St. Mary's High School

By: Jack Liu (MAT Class of 2019)

I was placed at St. Mary’s High School high school for my first Athletic Training clinical experience. This clinical site has been a great practical experience and has provided me many learning opportunities.

I am very glad that I can gain clinical knowledge, skills, and abilities under the supervision of my preceptor Cara Bowton MAT, ATC; who works as the Athletic Trainer at St. Mary's through SSM-Saint Louis University Hospital. She graduated from SLU in 2016 and is very knowledgeable about injury management and prevention. 

My primary sport exposure at St. Mary’s has been with football team, and has been performed very well. It has been a good learning experience due to the variety of injuries that have occurred  on field. 

Working with my preceptor, I have improved my clinical skills through various clinical site activities. I have gotten some experience managing concussions, evaluating injuries to joints, and assisting in the treatment of environmental conditions such as heat stroke and muscle spasms during this football and soccer season.

Cara has been a tremendous preceptor and has provided me with some great opportunities to develop these hands-on experiences during my time at St. Mary’s High School. Furthermore, I expect that the knowledge I have gained in the classroom and my clinical site will be beneficial to 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.

SLU AT Students get an Amazing International Interprofessional Rugby Experience at USA 7's in Las Vegas

Rugby Medicine - 2016 USA 7's - Las Vegas, Nevada

By: Cara Bowton and Angelina Vitale (MAT Class of 2016)

We had an amazing opportunity to connect with USA Rugby over the long weekend coordinated by Michael Keating, ATC.  March 3rd and 4th, we attended the USA Rugby Sports Medicine Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Specialists and medical professionals from around the world came to speak about issues concerning medical care in rugby.  A few of the key topics were concussion protocol using a Head Injury Assessment tool (HIA), hip and knee pathology related to rugby injury, and the World Rugby legislation on laws of tackling when considering age bans.  We were able to meet and talk to those who are leaders in rugby medicine.

Cara Bowton, Kemba Noel-London ATC, Angie Vitale and John Honcharuk ATC

Once the symposium concluded we rushed over to Sam Boyd Stadium to work the USA Rugby 7’s tournament with the general medical staff, where we had the chance to connect with SLU Alum, Kemba Noel-London MAT, ATC.  We assisted the medical staff in a variety of ways, including helping out in the medical room, joining the match day doctors on the pitch, and posting up in the press box for concussion spotting.  Friday through Sunday evening we spent our days at the stadium helping with each injury regardless of the athlete’s team affiliation.  

The medical staff consisted of match day doctors, athletic trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists, and an x-ray technician.  Working closely with each profession gave us a better understanding of how multiple health care professionals can work fluidly to provide the best care for athletes, in adjunct with each team’s physiotherapist.  All injured athletes were escorted to the medical room where either a quick decision was made for return to play or a longer evaluation was conducted, often with the help of translators for the non-English speaking athletes.   Concussions, lacerations, infection, and broken bones were all easily managed on site.  An EAP (emergency action plan) was provided to each of us before the tournament to ensure each one of us were competent in all medical situations.

At the end of a very long weekend, Angie and I were lucky to have these experiences with the help of Michael Keating, ATC.  We are extremely thankful to have been a part of the international tournament and learn about current medical topics of rugby.

SLU Starts Second Year of Athletic Training Outreach Program at Roosevelt HS

In 2015, the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program was awarded an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant by the National Athletic Trainers' Association Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee. The grant funds an Athletic Training Club at Roosevelt High School, a public high school in the city of St. Louis approximately one mile south of the SLU Medical Center campus.

The intent of the Roosevelt HS AT Club is to provide information and experience to the high school students interested in athletic training and health care with four experiential learning sessions conducted by SLU AT Students who serve as peer mentors in the program. 

On Thursday, January 28, 2016 the RHS AT Club started its second year with a session at the high school where the peer mentors introduced themselves and talked about the Athletic Training profession.   Then the students began an experiential session learning about and practicing athletic taping.  The next session will take place on the SLU campus on February 23, 2016.

The following SLU AT students served as peer mentors for the RHS AT Club at the first session:

Demeisha Crawford, Coordinator

Cara Bowton

Amelia Meigs

Michael Milek

Phillip Soncasie

SLU AT Students Get a Comprehensive Experience with a Team Approach at Kirkwood HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Kirkwood High School

By: Cara Bowton (SLU MAT Class of 2016); Collin Peterson and Olivia Robinson (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

Kirkwood High School has been a great example of what working as an athletic trainer at the high school level is like.  Under the guidance of our preceptor, Denise Grider ATC, we have covered a variety of sports including football, soccer, softball, field hockey, and volleyball, and also have worked with athletes from cross-country, swim, and several other sports.  We have provided on-field acute wound care and aided in the on-field assessment of injured athletes. Along with providing care at games, we spend a large amount of time in the athletic training room providing protective taping and padding devices, evaluating various injuries, and leading athletes in stretches and rehabilitation activities.  

We have learned that building trust with the athletes, as well as with the coaches, athletic directors, and the many other people who make high school sports possible, is integral to helping keep athletes safe and healthy on a daily basis.

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 Field Experience with Rugby "Down Under" in Australia

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Manly Marlins, Sydney Australia

By: Cara Bowton (SLU MAT Class of 2016)

For my summer internship I decided to go for an opportunity I might not normally have.  I am with the Manly Marlins located in Manly, which is on northern beaches of Sydney, Australia.  The Marlins are a club semi-professional rugby union team.  I get to work with 4 grades of over 20’s teams as well as 4 colts teams which ages range between 16 and 20.  This is roughly 160 athletes all together. Rugby union is a lifestyle for the community of Manly and I am grateful to be a part of it this season. 

Learning the rules of the game was my first challenge but with guidance from the athletes, coaches, and the entire staff I am able to get a good grasp of the game. Working with the sport physiotherapists as well as the entire club staff has been an absolute pleasure. Everyone is more than welcoming and I have come to love the sport.  My first week the boys taught me to throw properly which is much harder than they make it look but by the end of the winter season I hope to improve.  

Bioathletic Sports Injuries and Performance is the clinic right across from manly oval, which cares for the club teams.  I spend my morning in clinic taking athletes and patients alike through rehabilitation and treatments.  Then I head to the gym to assist in training and at nights we head out to practice. Saturdays are a big day with four matches back to back.  I get to see multiple injuries everyday and I have the unique experience of learning a whole new health care system.  The staff I have the honor to work with include Alison Donnan (physiotherapist), Rachel Underwood (physiotherapist), James Brodie (strength and conditioning coach), Richard Andjelkovic (first aid), and many others.  

There are multiple new and interesting techniques I am lucky to learn here that I will be able to take with me for future practice.  In rugby there is an abundance of shoulder injuries such as AC sprains, rotator cuff dysfunction, and impingement and I get hands on experience helping each athlete return to play.  I also have the opportunity to sit in on a knee menisectomy surgery of one of our athletes as well as an ACL repair.  

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with such an amazing staff.  Each and every one of them pushes me to learn and allows me to ask questions.  My time here has already made a huge impact on my education and my skills as an athletic training student. I get to take the lead during some of the matches which forces me to truly rely on what I’ve learned in classes and develop an intuition of managing injuries appropriately and efficiently.  I will remember this as one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  I could not have asked for a better clinical placement and group of people to work with.  

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 Get a Busy NCAA Division I Clinical Site at SIU-Edwardsville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
By: Kayla Kelley and Chris Miller (MAT Class of 2015); and Cara Bowton and Lauren Scalise (MAT Class of 2016)

Now that winter sports have drawn to a close, we are able to spend much more time outdoors. Spring sports include baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, track and field, volleyball, and tennis. We are rotating every two weeks to get a wide variety of experiences. Essentially we will have one rotation with almost every sport, giving us a sample of the main themes for each.

Gerry Schlemer ATC, Cara Bowton, Lauren Scalise

We are fortunate that the athletic training staff, student athletes, coaches, and administration have been so welcoming, providing us with a proper learning environment. We have also had the opportunity to experience Division I athletics, top notch athletic facilities, and a diverse population of athletes and staff members alike. While our time at SIUE is rapidly coming to an end, we know one thing for sure—it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

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 Host the Roosevelt AT Club On Campus for Learning and Basketball

The Roosevelt High School Athletic Training Club had their second meeting of the spring on the campus of Saint Louis University where they toured the facilities at Chaifetz Arena, learned about concussions, had dinner at Busch Student Center and attended the SLU Billikens Men's Basketball game vs St. Bonaventure.

SLU AT student Connor Doherty teaches about the Swim-Ex at Chaifetz Arena

The RHS AT Club is sponsored by the SLU AT Program and funded through an Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grant from the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC).  In February, they began with a meeting at RHS and look to take trips to Rams Park and Busch Stadium later in the spring.

It is coordinated by Jose' Mendez (MAT Class of 2015), who is currently on a SLU Graduate Education Diversity Fellowship, and AT Program Director Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC who applied for and received the NATA EDAC Grant.  

SLU AT student Jose' Mendez leads a group discussion on concussion.

It utilizes a student mentor model where each SLU AT student involved works closely with 3 RHS students in hands-on learning designed to help inform the high school students about AT and nurture student interest in AT and other health professions.

SLU AT student Cara Bowton work with RHS students on using the SCAT 3 concussion  assessment.

SLU AT student Demeisha Crawford demonstrates balance testing for concussion.

Preceptor Creates a Great Experience for SLU AT Students at Webster Groves High School

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Webster Groves High School

By: Cara Bowton and Mark Pais (MAT Class of 2016)

Life as students in the first professional year of the SLU Athletic Training program comes with a plethora of experiences, demands, and challenges. Fresh off of a rigorous summer of gross anatomy and MAT 501, we are now armed with a foundation of information that is critical for our success as athletic training students. Most of us entered our first week of clinical rotations with some trepidation due to the fact that we lacked experience in the field that we all hope to soon be certified in. For the two of us, any feelings of uneasiness were quickly quelled as soon as we stepped foot on campus at Webster Groves High School. Our clinical site preceptor, Sean Wright ATC, immediately made us feel welcomed and comfortable with our new second home. He made it clear that he did not want us to be put into situations that we were uncomfortable in handling, but he did (and continues to) encourage us to challenge ourselves and our knowledge. Sean is always willing to answer a question, elaborate on treatment/procedure rationale, or demonstrate a technique in order to facilitate our learning. This strong relationship with Sean has been the driving force in our positive experience so far at Webster Groves.

Mark Pais, Sean Wright ATC and Cara Bowton

The clinical rotation at Webster Groves allows for PY1 students like ourselves to garner a wide variety of experiences valuable to our growth. We have been exposed to all levels (Freshman, Junior Varsity, Varsity) of a wide variety of sports, with our priorities lying mainly with high contact sports. However, that is not to say that we have not seen our fair share (as most everyone probably has) of cross country self-diagnosed “shin splints.” In our daily routine, we see some regular faces of those who need taping and treatment prior to practice and games, and then we get to work with the rehabbers who are coming off of injury. As our time has progressed, Sean has given us more freedom to develop and carry out the rehab programs. This gives us a chance to work exclusively with athletes and to develop strong relationships with them, as well as giving us a better understanding of the rehabilitation process. Once 4:00 hits, we are out to the fields to monitor the home games for that day. The coaches and athletes always acknowledge us with a smile and a kind word, which is a testament to the relationship that Sean has built during his time there. His decisions are respected and never questioned due to his professionalism and expertise as an athletic trainer. Sean exemplifies the importance of staff collaboration and how it is imperative for smooth functioning of an athletic department.

Our clinical rotation at Webster Groves has already provided us with memorable experiences that we will not soon forget. Seeing an injured athlete, who has worked hard day after day in rehab, return to play is a very rewarding moment. One of the football athletes sustained a sprained MCL during a game and required significant rehab before he could return to play. He worked with us for two weeks doing countless monster walks, terminal knee extensions, and rounds of the “VMO special” in order to be fit to return to play. After his dedicated effort in rehabilitation, he was back on the field and playing at a high level, and that was a very rewarding moment for us as students. It this sort of impact that we can have on an athlete’s life that drives our desire to be athletic trainers. Being at Webster Groves has offered us an experience that reinforces our decision to become athletic training students. All of the time and effort required to help things run smoothly is incomparable to the feeling of gratification when we can help athletes return to a high level of performance for the sport that they love. We feel incredibly fortunate for our opportunity to work with Sean and Webster Groves and we look forward to what the next two months bring!

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.

AT Student Connects Her High School Experience to the Professional Preparation at SLU

New PY1 AT Student Blog Post - Cara Bowton
By: Cara Bowton (MAT Class of 2016)

As an Athletic Training student at SLU there are many opportunities to stay connected to the profession. Sometimes it is difficult to stay in the loop while taking general science classes.  We are a small class, which allows each student to develop a great relationship with our program staff over the years.

I work as a student assistant in the Chaifetz Arena Athletic Training Room at SLU to keep my tie to Athletic Training.  It is a good reminder of why I am in this program.  I get to assist and learn from Certified Athletic trainers at the collegiate level.  What I value most from them is understanding that sometimes you have to work with what you have.  Oftentimes, athletic training takes a bit of creativity to get the job done.  In class we are taught everything we need to be a successful Athletic Trainer but the hands on knowledge or the tips and tricks are things you learn in the field.

Every Athletic Trainer has their own style and although things are done a little differently between people, in the end the task is accomplished.  I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from Certified Athletic Trainers and SLU makes sure every student has the opportunities by directly involving them into our curriculum.

SLU AT student Cara Bowton with one of her the high school athletic trainers before a football game

I knew I wanted to go into this profession because I was apart of the Student Athletic Training Club at my high school.  I decided to do some of my Directed Observation hours there.  Going back to my high school with the knowledge I have learned this far in my education gave me a whole new perspective.  I have a better understanding about why things are done the way they are.  I also was able to compare the high school setting with college.  There are many differences, which goes to show how unique this profession is.  I owe my high school athletic trainers everything for sparking my interest in this profession.  I regularly stay in touch with them and being able to observe them brought back great memories.

I have gained perspective about Athletic Training and I cannot wait to continue my education to be the best I can be.  Observing many settings and styles will help mold our students into great Athletic Trainers.

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 300 - AT Student Development II.