SLU AT Student Returns to Spain for Clinical Experience at Consejo Superior de Deportes in Madrid

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight -  Universidad Camilo Jose Cela and Consejo Superior de Deportes - Madrid, Spain

By: Juan Calero Alonso (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

For my summer field experience, I´ve had the opportunity to learn from Jose Bugeda, a physiotherapist that works at the CSD in Madrid through the Universidad Camilo Jose Cela. 

The CSD (Consejo Superior de Deportes) is an institution where the best athletes at the national level come from everywhere in Spain to train hard and continue with their studies. Some of the athletes are under a scholarship and live at a residency right next to the facilities where they usually practice. The CSD is close to the Sports science faculty and other faculties which makes it easy for the athletes to combine their sports with their higher education. There are athletes from many different sports training at the CSD such as Carolina Marin (Badminton World champion), and even though I have seen athletes from other sports such as track and field or gymnastics during their practices, I primarily have worked with wrestling athletes. 

It has been a great experience so far. It is very different to see how physiotherapists work in Europe and compare and contrast it to how AT´s treat athletes back in the USA and what I have seen at my past clinical experiences in the US. It has been a pleasure to have the opportunity of being able to come to my home nation and still have the chance to get a fantastic clinical experience with very high level athletes during the summer. So far, the work I have seen at the clinic focuses mainly on manual therapy and myofascial release techniques. 

My preceptor is very approachable and takes a lot of time to teach all the concepts that I don´t understand and I am very grateful for that. It is great to see the relationship that he has developed over the years with his athletes. I had limited experience with wrestling and it has been great to get a chance to work with some of the best wrestlers in the country and see different injuries that I may not see in other sports. I love the atmosphere there and I am getting a chance to see many different injuries. Also, I was new to wrestling when I first came and now I am getting to learn about the sport. It has truly been a great experience so far and I look forward to learn new skills and improve what I have learned during this summer field experience. 

I really appreciate the opportunity that I have had during the summer and I look forward to continue growing as an Athletic training student.

En Español

Para mi experiencia de prácticas durante el verano, he tenido la oportunidad de aprender de Jose Bugeda, un fisioterapeuta que trabaja en el CSD (Consejo Superior de Deportes) en Madrid con algunos de los mejores atletas españoles. El CSD es una institución donde algunos de los mejores atletas a nivel nacional de cualquier parte de España vienen a entrenar y a continuar con sus estudios. Algunos de estos atletas están becados y viven en una residencia justo al lado de donde tienen sus entrenamientos diariamente. El CSD se encuentra al lado de la facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte y de otras facultades, lo que hace más sencillo para lo que lo hace más sencillo para algunos atletas que continúan con sus estudios universitarios.  Hay atletas de diferentes deportes que entrenan en el CSD, como por ejemplo Carolina Marín (Campeona del mundo de Badminton) , y aunque he tenido la oportunidad de ver otros deportistas de atletismo y gimnasia rítmica durante sus entrenamientos, solo he tenido la oportunidad de trabajar con atletas de lucha. Ha sido una gran experiencia hasta ahora. Es muy diferente ver cómo los fisioterapeutas trabajan en Europa y compararlo y contrastarlo con la forma en que los athletic trainers atienden a los deportistas en los Estados Unidos. Ha sido un auténtico placer tener la oportunidad de volver a mi país de origen para realizar mis prácticas de verano y a la vez pasar una gran experiencia con atletas de gran nivel.  Hasta ahora, el trabajo que he visto en la clínica se centra principalmente en la terapia manual y las técnicas de liberación myofascial. Jose es muy accesible para hacerle preguntas y se toma mucho tiempo para enseñarme y explicarme todos los conceptos que no entiendo y estoy muy agradecido por eso. Es genial ver la relación que ha desarrollado a lo largo de los años con sus atletas. Nunca antes había tenido la oportunidad de trabajar con atletas de lucha y ha sido genial tener la oportunidad de trabajar con algunos de los mejores luchadores del país y ver diferentes lesiones que no veo en otros deportes. Me encanta el ambiente allí y tengo la oportunidad de ver muchas lesiones diferentes. Además, nunca había visto lucha hasta que llegué y ahora hasta estoy aprendiendo sobre el deporte. Realmente ha sido una gran experiencia hasta ahora y espero aprender nuevas habilidades y mejorar sobre lo que ya he aprendido. Aprecio mucho la oportunidad que se me ha otorgado durante este verano y miro hacia delante para continuar creciendo como estudiante de Athletic training de la universidad de Saint Louis.

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 Student Builds Clinical Skills and More through Immersive Clinical Experience in Madrid, Spain

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Madrid, Spain

By: Jenna Ginsberg (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

This summer I did the majority of my clinical experience at a physiotherapy clinic in Madrid, Spain. The clinic is part of the High-performance Centre-Consejo Superior de Deportes, Madrid; a vast government-sponsored facility that houses training centers, dormitories, doctors’ offices, and other sports medicine professionals that serve the elite athletes who live and train there. 

I had the privilege to work with physiotherapist Elena Martínez Martínez and her staff, and I learned a great deal from them. Studying abroad was something I always wanted to do, and it was an incredible experience getting to work with so many different athletes that compete in sports at a very high level, especially those that are not as popular in the United States. 

This experience brought me out of my comfort zone, as I had to work hard to communicate with my patients and preceptors in a language that I am far from fluent in. My manual therapy skills improved greatly, as did my knowledge of diathermy, which was used on a daily basis in the clinic, unlike in the U.S. where it is less common. I also got to observe a great deal of dry needling and acupuncture (and see what it felt like!). 

My favorite thing about this experience was that for all the differences between Athletic Training and Physiotherapy, evidence-based practice and hard work to ensure the best outcome for the patient remain at the center of both. 

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.

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.

SLU Athletic Training Program Now Offers Opportunity for Students in Madrid

Starting this fall, students enrolled in the Master of Athletic Training Program at Saint Louis University are able to complete their first two years of study at the SLU-Madrid campus. Students will then return to the St. Louis campus to finish their remaining three years of study. The Athletic Training Program is a 3+2 entry-level Master's program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Students can enter the program after high school or transfer to SLU as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student.

"This program offers to students a rich and exciting experience to develop language and cultural competency while being exposed to high caliber athletic health care in an international setting," said Mark Reinking, PT, PhD, SCS, ATC, Chairman of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.

Opening this study abroad program to SLU athletic training students will provide experiences unique to the international setting. While in Madrid, students have the opportunity to learn and speak Spanish in a native environment, develop intercultural competencies, and gain valuable experience with bilingual and native Spanish speaking health professionals and athletes.

Bilingual skills in Spanish and English are highly desirable in athletic training, especially in large metropolitan areas and in some athletic settings such as professional baseball.

SLU-Madrid has played a crucial role in internationalizing SLU, recruiting students not only from Spain, but from all over the world. The campus is home to students from over 60 countries. Many students are attracted to SLU-Madrid because it serves as a gateway to the programs offered in St. Louis. Athletic training, with the ability to complete the first two years in Madrid, will now be one of the options distinguishing both SLU and its Madrid campus from other international universities.

"The quality and variety of the programs are what attracts international students to SLU-Madrid," said Paul Vita, Ph.D., Director and Academic Dean of the Madrid Campus. "SLU's Athletic Training program is a unique one, one not available at other universities in Spain-or Europe, for that matter."

The Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training has also become an affiliate member in the World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy, which Anthony Breitbach, PhD, ATC, Director of the Athletic Training Program, says, "will provide additional support, promotion and external validation for the program."This program with the SLU-Madrid campus is modeled after the School of Nursing's successful international nursing program which launched in 2003. The courses for the athletic training students taught in Madrid will mirror those in St. Louis and will be closely coordinated between the two campuses. Students will also be capable of completing their clinical internship course in Spain, giving them direct international experience in the field.

WFATT is a coalition of national organizations of healthcare professions in the fields of sport, exercise, injury and illness prevention, and treatment. Member associations are from other countries including Canada, Spain, Italy, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, South Africa, England and Ireland.

SLU AT Student Reports from Internship in Spain

¡Bienvenidos a Madrid! 
By: Adriana Black (SLU MAT Class of 2013)

The capital of Spain and land of Iberian ham, the best footballers (no, not “American football” as they call it in Spain) in the world, arguably the best metro system in the world, the Prado Art Museum, the largest university in Spain, and bullfighting; Madrid is also home to Clínica MEDYR - my summer internship location.

Clínica MEDYR - short for Medecina Deportiva y Rehabilitación (Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation) - is located near the center of the city of Madrid. It is only about a fifteen-minute walk or one metro stop away from the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - home of the Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. Doctor Carlos González de Vega San Román, MD, PhD, SpMD, the medical director and coordinator of MEDYR, is also serving as my clinical instructor for the summer.

Formally specializing in internal medicine, Dr. González de Vega’s current focus is in physical education and sport medicine. He has practiced in Toronto, Canada as well as at Victoria Sports Medicine Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Now at MEDYR, he particularly specializes in shoulder and spine injuries - both chronic and acute as he also has experience with sport traumatology. Additionally, Dr. González de Vega is able to play a role in the rehabilitative stage of patients’ treatments by doing mobilizations in the shoulder joint which help increase the tone of patients’ musculature as they take steps back to a more normal, healthy lifestyle.

Dr. González de Vega and SLU AT Student Adriana Black at Clinica MEDYR in Madrid, Spain

Despite Dr. González de Vega’s extensive international experience, the most beneficial quality he possesses as a healthcare professional is his innate ability to teach. Being able to share and educate others on his previous work experiences and his routine medical assessments is worth the most to me as a student - particularly in this phase of the program. I have been taking copious notes and asking Dr. González de Vega dozens of questions each day to verify that he and I are on the same page when he does an examination and gives a diagnosis and to ensure I always leave the clinic having grown as a student and clinician. He is always eager to help in any way and encourages me to question everything that he does in hopes of further enriching my future as a healthcare provider.

I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to be working on some projects specific to the shoulder region - both research and clinically related under the guidance of Dr. González de Vega. In addition to clinical evaluations, I will also get the chance to have more hands-on experiences with the “fisios,” as they are called in Spain, who are responsible for walking the patients through each step of the rehabilitative process. I very much look forward to continue to “shadow” Dr. González de Vega on his daily clinical examinations and therapies and seeing what else develops from my internship at Clínica MEDYR. 

Students in the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Education 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 Study Abroad Opportunity - Spain

¡Hala Madrid!
by: Adriana Black, Athletic Training Student
SLU MAT Class of 2013

I went to Madrid for my study abroad semester. I went the first semester of my Junior year; as that is the semester that is set for most Doisy students to study abroad. Though it was a lighter credit-wise workload, it did not mean that I learned any less from it all. I was challenged in my classes and truly felt it helped develop my holistic education. I enjoyed my professors in each of my classes and gaining a new perspective about the coursework. It was also beneficial to meet new students and learn from their experiences. Overall, studying abroad was one of the best experiences I have had not just while in college but in my life thus far.
 
While in Madrid, I had the pleasure of taking IPE 350: Healthcare Systems and Promotion. Due to the critical topic, engaging class, but most of all the inspirational professor, it easily became my favorite class in college. The class was half lecture half discussion, but the lectures themselves turned into discussions with all of the analytical questions that the professor would pose. The way to do well in the class was not to just do the work - it delved deeper than that by having students think critically and on a global-scale.

Analyzing the healthcare systems worldwide sheds some new light on our own healthcare system in place in the United States. Learning about the other systems in this class became a compare and contrast session where different viewpoints were scrutinized and issues were tackled. Looking at the these systems from this macro perspective helped in understanding the social justice and global issues that face our world today.

The IPE 350 class not only taught me about our U.S. healthcare system and global healthcare systems, but global issues that face healthcare professionals daily. As a future healthcare provider, it was important and necessary to be informed enough to assess all of these issues to someday be able to bring them to an end.

Adriana Black (far left) with friends in Madrid.

I am a Junior in the Master's of Athletic Training program at Saint Louis University. Though my experiences thus far at SLU have done everything to exceed my expectations, my study abroad experience truly encapsulates the reasons why I have thoroughly enjoyed my college experience. I am now a firm believer and strong advocate for students studying abroad in college when given the opportunity.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU AT Student study abroad experiences.  Because of its 3-2 format, the SLU AT program gives students a unique ability to study abroad.  For more information about study abroad experiences at SLU go to: https://www.slu.edu/x26920.xml .