SLU AT Students Build Their Skills in a Dynamic and Collaborative Environment with Billiken Athletics

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Saint Louis University Athletics

By: Maddie Cavanaugh, Amra Kardasevic, and Michael Ryan (MAT Class of 2022)

For the start of our PY2 semesters, we have had the opportunity to gain clinical experience at Saint Louis University.  SLU provides a multitude of sports the opportunity to work with a variety of athletes and Certified Athletic Trainers.  Amra Kardasevic and Maddie Cavanaugh are primarily assisting Jonathan Burch, ATC, with Men’s Basketball.  Michael Ryan is primarily assisting Ben Heimos, ATC, with Men’s Soccer and will assist with Baseball in the Spring.  We are able to spend numerous hours in the athletic training room, gaining experience from all of the staff ATs and learn from the individual, unique skillsets.

It is a unique opportunity to provide medical care for high level athletes.  While basketball is still early on in pre-season, we are getting to see and assist with practices, rehabilitations and injury prevention. Men’s Soccer is partially through their season, so I have been seeing how rehabilitations differ when a player gets a minor injury in a game when the goal is to get them ready for the next game as opposed to how injuries are treated in pre-season.

Maddie and Amra look forward to getting the game day experience and the possibility of traveling with the team eventually to see what both home and away games look like for a Division I Certified Athletic Trainer for basketball.  Maddie is looking forward to experiencing the interprofessional atmosphere between the ATCs, strength and conditioning staff and nutritionists within Chaifetz.  Amra is eager to experience a fast pace environment that is associated with game day and learning more clinical skills from both ATCs and other medical staff if injuries arise.  Michael is looking forward to continuing to learn and get more experience to hone his skills as an athletic training student. Having experienced a few game days already this year, Michael is excited to continue being utilized on those days to help prepare the team for their game. 

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 Program Welcomes New Course Coordinators

The Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program welcomes two new coordinators for two courses that are held during the second 8 weeks of the Fall 2019 term.

Katie Sniffen MS, ATC will be the course coordinator in MAT 5550 - Rehabilitation in Athletic Training II.  She is a doctoral student in Public Health; is in her 3rd year as a lab instructor for Therapeutic Modalities; and also serves as Clinical Coordinator in the SLU Center for Interprofessional Education and Research teaching IPE 4900 and IPE 4905.

'In her short time at SLU, she has several publications and has made multiple presentations at national and international conferences.  Find her publication "Embedding Interprofessional Activities with Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Students in Shared Professional Course" from the International Journal of Health Science Education here: https://dc.etsu.edu/ijhse/vol6/iss1/4/

Katie came to SLU from Pepperdine University where she served as on their Athletic Training Staff after graduating with her Master's degree from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor's degree from Long Beach State University.

SLU AT Program Alum and Maryville University athletic trainer Max Alander MAT, ATC, CSCS will be the course coordinator for MAT 5650 - Research in Athletic Training.  It will be a seminar-format course with guest speakers and some online content. After graduation from SLU in 2017, he was a research fellow at the United States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and he now also teaches at Maryville.

His research project was awarded 3rd place at the 2017 ARL Summer Symposium:
https://www.slu.edu/doisy/doisy-news/2017/alander-arl.php

SLU AT Student Sees the Athletic Trainer's Wide Spectrum of Responsibilities on the Team at Lurie Children's Hospital

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
By: Paul Lamb (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

This summer at Ann and Robert H. Lurie’s Children Hospital has given me an immense amount of learning opportunities in a new setting for Athletic Trainers that I hadn’t experienced before this summer. Working within a hospital setting means being a part of interprofessional health care teams that incorporate numerous domains, including Athletic Trainers, Orthopedic Specialists, Nurses, Translators, and much more.

I’ve been lucky to have the guidance of four AT's (Kristi McCracken, ATC, Emily Worobec, ATC, Madeline McHugh, ATC, and Adam Potteiger, ATC) to demonstrate the role of an athletic trainer. Each one has taught me endless amounts about new conditions and treatment strategies, and have allowed me to get hands-on experience in clinic.

A typical day for me this summer starts with going to one of the Lurie outpatient clinics that are scattered throughout Chicagoland. From there, the day varies depending on what patients are scheduled. So while on day I may be shadowing a pediatric orthopedic surgeon as they diagnose an ACL injury, the next day I may be assisting in the casting of a baby with clubfoot. This variance of opportunities has shown me the wide spectrum of responsibilities that Athletic Trainers take on within the health care system.

I’m grateful to the staff at Lurie Children’s for welcoming me into their health care community, and allowing me to learn as much as I have so far this summer. The next few weeks will offer new chances to broaden my scope of knowledge, and I’m excited for what that will bring.

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 Program Featured in the SLU Doisy College "On the Record" Magazine

The Summer 2018 issue of the the Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences magazine “On the Record” featured several articles about the Athletic Training program.

The on-line magazine is accessible at this link:
https://issuu.com/sludchs/docs/on_the_record_summer_2018

Story about Brandi Burgett Memorial Award and Scholarship

AT Faculty Dr. Anthony Breitbach and Dr. Mike Markee were recognized for Excellence in Scholarship and Excellence in Teaching.

Story on interprofessional collaboration between Dr. Anthony Breitbach and Dr. Katie Eliot.

Clinical Education Coordinator Dr. Timothy Howell appears in the "Clinical Corner" section.

SLU AT Program Faculty and Alumni have a Big Week in the Big Easy

Each year, the NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo provides a great opportunity for professional development and fellowship.  This year's meeting was no exception and the city of New Orleans provided a great site for convention's festivities!

One of the highlights of the NATA Convention is our Alumni Reception!  Over 50 alumni and friends attended this year's reception at the Olde NOLA Cookery on June 27th.

There were several educational presentations with SLU connections:

Katie Sniffen MS, ATC presented research from our interprofessional DPT/MAT Therapeutic Modalities course.

Program Director Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC presented a poster on his interprofessional collaboration research.

SLU AT alum Tyler Wood MS, MAT, ATC presented his doctoral research from the University of Illinois.

Gatorade premiered a short film entitled "First on the Field" highlighting the experience of the NFL's first female athletic trainers.  SLU AT alum Hilary Stepansky MAT, ATC is featured in the video and served on a panel discussing her experiences with the Los Angeles Rams as one of six female AT's in the NFL.

The video of the presentation is available here:
https://www.pscp.tv/GPerformancePartner/1yNGaXDoyEqKj?t=1m56s 

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 Program Director has a Memorable Week of Scholarship and Professional Development in England

My International Interprofessional Experience in the United Kingdom

By: Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, Associate Professor/Program Director

The month of September 2016 was memorable for me both personally and professionally.  I had the special opportunity to present a workshop and conduct research at the "All Together Better Health (ATBH) VIII" Conference in Oxford, United Kingdom.  The ATBH Conferences are held every other year and bring together the top scholars in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice from all over the world.  This year's conference had delegates from over 30 countries and was hosted on the campus of Oxford University.  As a faculty member dedicated to interprofessional teaching and scholarship, this was an opportunity of a lifetime!

September 4, 2016

I left St. Louis and flew to London through Detroit, Michigan on an overnight flight.  The fortune cookie I received with my meal in Detroit was quite prophetic: "You will discover and unexpected treasure this week.".  

September 5, 2016

I arrived at Heathrow Airport in London and traveled via bus to Oxford.  Oxford University, home to the Rhodes Scholarship, is made up of several colleges which date back to the 1200's.  I stayed on the campus of the New College School, which was founded in 1379.  

The gate to the ancient walls of Oxford on the campus of New College School in Oxford.

September 6, 2016

After using the previous day to recover from jet lag, I was ready for the start of ATBH.  I participated in a pre-conference workshop during the day and the conference opened in the historic Sheldonian Theatre.  After the Opening Ceremony there was a Welcome Reception at the Oxford Union, home to the legendary debating society that has helped hone the skills of some of Great Britain's most prominent figures.

Sheldonian Theatre

Oxford Union

September 7, 2016

This marked the first full day of the conference.  The workshops were held in the Examination Schools at Oxford University.  I served as a session chair/moderator, attended workshops and plenary sessions.  I also met with my research collaborator Dr. Scott Reeves, from Kingston University-St. George's University of London, to finalize preparation for our workshop which was to held the next day.

Tablet at the Examination Schools.

September 8, 2016

Dr. Reeves and I presented our workshop entitled "Utilizing Sport to Study and Improve Global Interprofessional Collaborative Health Care" using the World Cafe method.  The workshop had 26 participants from 10 different countries and was an incredible scholarship opportunity!  In the evening, we had the ATBH Conference Dinner at Balliol College, the oldest of all of Oxford University's colleges.  The dinner took place in the hall that was featured as Hogwart's Great Hall in the Harry Potter movies.

At the Conference Dinner in Balliol College.

With Dr. Scott Reeves at our workshop.

September 9-12, 2016
The conference wrapped up on Friday and I went to London for a couple days of sightseeing.  The highlight of my weekend was going to the Fulham FC vs Birmingham City soccer match on Saturday at the historic Craven Cottage Stadium.  It was fun attending my first international soccer match and connecting with Billiken great Tim Ream, who now plays for Fulham. An unexpected surprise at Fulham was prior to the match where Fulham sponsored a #ManMorning event to promote men's health and physical activity. They welcomed me to join them in the event, which made for a fun day that I will never forget!

With Billiken great Tim Ream

#ManMorning group photo

Overall this trip was a great collaborative scholarship opportunity, enabling me to grow professionally and personally.  I hope to take these experiences back to SLU to help grow our program and the profession of Athletic Training in the area of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice.

Check out the Doisy College article about the event.

Check out Dr. Breitbach's article about the World Cafe method on the Journal of Interprofessional Care Blog

SLU AT Students Join PA Students for an Orthopedic Casting Lab

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 students from the Saint Louis University Physician Assistant Education program and Athletic Training program participated together in an orthopedic casting lab.  The lab was conducted by Certified Athletic Trainer and NATA Hall of Fame member Rod Walters; and coordinated by SLU faculty members Sr. Mary White (PA) and Dr. Kitty Newsham (AT).  This interprofessional learning opportunity was a great experience for students in both programs.  More information about Rod Walters ATC and his program are available at: https://www.rodwalters.com/

Rod Walters ATC demonstrates a casting technique on SLU AT student Tori Lycett

SLU AT students Michael Aaron and Eldon Reid practice a casting technique.

SLU AT Student Experiences Collaborative Athletic Health Care at Division I Setting

Summer Internship Blog Post - Georgetown University
By: Tori Lycett (MAT Class of 2015)

During my summer internship I had the opportunity to work under Erin Pettinger ATC at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Georgetown University, much like other NCAA Division 1 colleges, has multiple Athletic Trainers on staff who each have designated sports. Erin specifically works with Men's Lacrosse, Men's Golf, and Sailing, however I had the chance to get experience with several other ATs on staff under the supervision of Erin.  Each of the Athletic Trainers on staff came from different parts of United States and had different backgrounds in education and experience. This gave me the opportunity to learn different techniques, and help to widen my perspective of different parts of Athletic Training. At Georgetown University most of the athletes on campus were there for summer workouts or summer camps. Although it was not the busiest season for sports, this gave me the opportunity to better understand how a D1 Athletic Training room functioned, and how the staff utilized interprofessional care for each athlete. Each week different physicians would visit the athletic training room to run physicals, check up on athletes, and talk directly with the athletic training staff to ensure that everything was ready for the fall preseason. Throughout my internship I also had the privilege to observe one of Georgetown University sports medicine PT's who had a very unique and educational approach to evaluations and treatment of athletes.

Erin Pettinger ATC, Tori Lycett and Emily Deck ATC.

Going into my internship I didn't know what to expect and went in open minded. I chose to intern at Georgetown because I want to eventually work in a D1 setting. Since I was once a college athlete I had an idea of what it would be like however being an athlete is completely different than athletic training. In my fall rotation I worked at Lindenwood University, a small NAIA college, however interning at Georgetown University ensured my goal. Working with college athletes is completely different then other settings. Not only are the athletes motivated differently but the interprofessional care they receive is different especially in D1. In D1 the athletic trainers directly work with physicians, orthopedists, PTs, etc. That aspect of health care is not only important for the patient-centered care of the athlete, but it also helps for you as a practioner to learn. I can't thank Erin and the athletic training staff at Georgetown University enough for giving me this opportunity to learn and become more familiar with the dynamics of a D1 athletic training room.

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.

SLU AT Students Get an Interprofessional Summer Internship Experience

Summer Internship Blog Post - NutriFormance/Athletic Republic

By: Kayla Kelley and Ju Hyung Kim (MAT Class of 2015)

NutriFormance/Athletic Republic is a top-of-the-line workout facility located in Frontenac, MO. They offer a variety of fitness programs in addition to their general gym membership such as personal training, group training, spinning, physical therapy, massage therapy, and nutrition counseling.

Kayla Kelley, NutriFormance staff member Emily Grace ATC (SLU MAT Class of 2014) and Ju Kim 

This really makes NutriFormance unique with all the different healthcare professionals on staff. It is not unusual for these healthcare professionals to work together. For example, the personal trainer may be working with their client’s physical therapist to gauge the client’s progress and figure out what they need to focus on. They might also work with their client’s nutritionist, especially if the client is trying to lose weight or has a medical condition such as hypertension. It is essential for these healthcare providers to be on the same page when it comes to the overall health of their client. Each healthcare provider has a different scope of practice and work together to provide the best care possible for each individual client. This is interprofessional practice at work and guarantees the best care for the client. It has been an amazing opportunity to be a part of this team over the course of the summer. We will be able to take what we have learned about interprofessional practice and put it into good use as we continue our journey to becoming athletic trainers.

SLU AT students providing an in-service for NutriFormance staff.

As interns, we spent most of our time on the Athletic Republic floor assisting the coaches with the speed, agility, and functional strength classes. Our time here this summer has really opened our eyes to the level of commitment and hard work it takes to be an athlete. We have also gained a lot of insight on proper running mechanics and immensely improved our rehab skills. A huge part of Athletic Republic is geared towards bridging the gap between a doctor’s clearance and full sports participation. They begin with a digital video analysis (DVA) to determine what areas need improvement. A program is then tailored to their specific needs, and as they build up their strength and agility, they are gradually released to participate. In this way, the athletes are able to return to their sport in the healthiest way possible while minimizing the chance of re-injuring themselves or incurring a new injury.

We feel very fortunate to have been a part of the team at NutriFormance/Athletic Republic. We were able to improve upon our communication and rehab skills—skills that will continue to build and serve us well in our future career. But above all, we learned the importance of the individual. Every athlete is different and has varying levels of fitness and motivation. Therefore, while you may have two athletes with the same injury, their rehab and strengthening programs may be different based on their needs and how their body responds. 

We are thankful for the experience we have had at NutriFormance and we are blessed to have learned so many things that cannot be gained from a textbook.

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.