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 Gets Hands-on Experience in a Physician Office at Blue Tail Medical Group

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Blue Tail Medical Group, St. Louis, MO

By: Brianna LaBarbera (MAT Class of 2017)

I have been very fortunate to be able to spend my summer field experience at Blue Tail Medical Group with Matt Bayes, MD, and Devon Guckes, ATC. Dr. Bayes specializes in treating all sports medicine injuries and non-operative orthopedics, with a special interest in treating sports concussions and post-concussive syndrome. Using ultrasound guidance, Dr. Bayes utilizes stem cell therapy in his treatments for patients suffering from degenerative conditions.

Devon serves as an Athletic Trainer in this physician clinic, something I am very interested in pursing for my future career. She has been an awesome mentor to me and everyday teaches me new techniques and skills in order to improve my patient evaluations. She has given me the opportunity to individually practice my skills and patient interaction, which I have found to be most beneficial. Not only have I been independently evaluating patients and gathering their history, I have been assisting during procedures, which has been an exciting component of my experience. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of healthcare team with Dr. Bayes, Devon, and the Medical Assistant at Blue Tail Medical Group. Since the first day, I have been very impressed by their patient care efficiency and passion for improving their patient’s health. 

This experience has truly aided in my growth and development as an athletic training student.  It has exposed me to patient care I do not always see in the traditional athletic training setting. I look very forward to the rest of my summer field experience at Bluetail Medical Group, and will take my acquired skills into my future practice! 

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.

AT Students Get Unique Experiences from the Special Events on the SLU Campus this Summer

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Nike Elite 100 Basketball Camp and USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials, St. Louis, MO

By: Danny Smith (MAT Class of 2017)

This summer, I have had the opportunity to work at a few athletic events outside of my summer field experience.  I have been fortunate enough to work alongside my classmates, professors, and other health professionals at the Nike Elite 100 basketball camp and the USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials. Both of these events were held on the campus of Saint Louis University and the SLU Athletic Training Program played an integral role in providing health care at these events.

At the Nike Elite 100 camp, I was fortunate to get to work with many of my fellow classmates. Through this experience, we were able to put many of the skills we have learned in the classroom into actual practice.  It’s amazing to see how far we all have come in the past year.  Just last year we were learning about the body’s structures in gross anatomy, and now we are able to use our knowledge to provide treatment and care to injured athletes.

At the camp, we took player measurements such as weight, height, wingspan, and reach.  We also were available to tape players before each playing session.  When the players were on the court, we stood courtside in case an injury occurred and when one did, we used our injury assessment skills while under the supervision of our professors.  Getting to work alongside all of our professors was one of the best aspects of this experience.  Over the past four years we have been able to learn from their expertise, but through this camp we were allowed to see them use their skills in real life situations.  

I was lucky enough to spend a few days at the USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials at Chaifetz Arena. At this event, our program played a supportive role to the USA Olympic Medical Staff.  It was a joy to get to see the techniques used by the medical staff to help the hopeful Olympians to compete at their best.  This experience also gave me the opportunity to network with athletic trainers and physicians from across the country.  I was able to ask about how they became involved with the USA Gymnastics Team Medical Staff and the journey it took to get to such a position. Additionally, this opportunity gave me experience with a sport that I do not get to cover in my typical clinical rotations.

Through both the Nike Elite 100 camp and the USA Gymnastic Olympic Trials I have been able to assist elite level athletes.  I have gotten a glimpse of the athletic training services these athletes need in order to achieve success.  

It is experiences like these that help the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program stand out as one of the best in the country.       

SLU AT Faculty and Students Team Up to Provide Medical Care for Prominent Nike Basketball Camp

Since 2000, Saint Louis University's Simon Recreation Center has served as the home to one of Nike's most prestigious basketball camps.

The Nike Elite 100 Camp brings 100 of the top basketball players 15 years to participate in 4 days of competition and instruction along with leadership training. Many future NBA players have participated in this camp as a high school athlete.

The SLU AT Program faculty and students have also been providing AT services for this camp since the program admitted its first group of students in 2008.  It has provided a great opportunity for SLU AT students and faculty to work together at a fun event.

SLU AT Students Get a Variety of Experiences in a Positive Environment at Fontbonne University

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Fontbonne University
By: Andrew Gomez and Lauren Scalise (MAT Class of 2016); Stephanie Uhrich and Bri LaBarbera (MAT Class of 2017)

Fontbonne University has provided us with a great experience so far! Our four preceptors; Andrea Lindquist ATC, Ann Schmerbauch ATC (SLU Alum), Jaci Clauson ATC and Brittany Koops ATC (SLU Alum); provide us with a deeper learning base when it comes to evaluations and rehabilitation because each AT has a different way of doing things. This is helpful because it keeps us away from getting into a standard routine. The great thing about this site is that our preceptors are on a constant rotation of all the sports. This is really beneficial because the athletes are familiar with all the ATs. When they come in with questions or for rehab they can talk to any of the ATs and everyone is on the same page.

We get experience with a wide variety of sports at the NCAA Division III collegiate level. We have worked with soccer, basketball, cross country, track & field, baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and volleyball. We have spent a lot of time on developing rehabilitation protocols for athletes and how to guide them through the rehabilitation process. We also have learned a few new taping techniques to help with shin splints, Achilles tendon pathology, and even TFCC just to name a few.  

The athletes and AT staff at Fontbonne University are great to work with!  Every day we come in, we leave with new knowledge pertaining to the athletic training profession. Fontbonne provides unique hands on experience and opportunities giving us a greater experience working from on court evaluations to post-surgical rehabilitation.

What makes Fontbonne University one of the best experiences we’ve had is the care and positive attitudes that all our preceptors bring each day. The AT room isn’t just a place where we treat and rehab athletes, it’s a place of comfort and safety. The care and love that all four preceptors have for everyone makes a safe, fun, and stress relieving environment. Because of this we thank you all for giving us an experience of a lifetime.  

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 a Great Clinical Experience in a Busy Place at John Burroughs

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - John Burroughs High School

By: Angelina Vitale (SLU MAT Class of 2016) and Brianna LaBarbera (SLU MAT Class of 2017)

This semester, we have the fortunate opportunity to be placed at John Burroughs High School with Dean Tiffany ATC as our preceptor.  Home to the JBS Bombers, this site has a wide variety of fall sports including football, soccer, field hockey, swimming/diving, volleyball, cross country, golf, cheerleading and tennis.  

John Burroughs is very unique in that the school mandates that all students participate in multiple sports all four years.  This encourages student involvement in extracurricular activities, increases the overall health of the student population, allows for students to experience different sports, and helps students develop proper time management skills.  After being in different clinical settings, it is clear that these students are positively influenced by this design.  Students are generally more enthused and have more positive relationships with their teammates and coaches/teachers through this added structure.  

While we cover all of the sports at John Burroughs, we spend a large amount of time with football, traveling with both Varsity and JV teams to games.  This experience has given us an opportunity to see many different injuries and how to properly treat them.  

We have also been able to take part in rehabilitation practices for all of the teams at a higher level. Having worked in many rehab settings before, Dean is extremely knowledgeable in many areas of rehab, which has been helpful exposure for us.   Under his supervision, we are able to take a very hands-on approach in treating these athletes on and off the field.  This has given us a chance to put what we learn into practice. 

As the fall sports are winding down, we are looking forward to the continuation of Varsity football as they enter playoffs and are excited for the start of winter season. 

Go Bombers!!

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.