SLU AT Student Enjoys Transformative Clinical Experience in Ireland at Athlone Institute of Technology

SLU AT Summer Field Experience Spotlight - Athlone Institute of Technology - Ireland

By: Chris Mecherle (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Spending the summer as a student at AIT has been one of the best decisions of my college career. With the guidance and assistance of Michael Donohoe M. Sc, ARTC, I have had a very fulfilling educational experience in Ireland. Out in the field, I also have the pleasure of working with Alan Camon ATC, who has been an extremely vital mentor for providing care to the local hurling and Gaelic football teams. With those two as my mentors, adjusting to life in Ireland has been a smooth transition, and I have certainly learned a great deal from their mentoring.

The weeks I have spent in Ireland have consisted of helping care for the Westmeath hurling and Caulry Gaelic football games and practices. There are also days that are with Michael Donohoe, partaking in workshops covering skills used in Ireland that are not used as much in the states. We also spend time with rugby players with post-surgical conditions, evaluating and determining their rehabilitation programs based on their progress. The hurling and football teams have been a very unique experience. I’ve personally never done so much soft tissue work before in such a short amount of time. It’s the main method for players to get ready before matches and practices, giving me the opportunity to obtain plenty of practice with myofascial release. During practices, we assist the players returning from hamstring injuries with their rehabilitation, and then during the games we do our best to keep the players in top form.

It has certainly been a wonderful time here in Ireland for professional growth. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that my perspectives on athletic healthcare are broadening, as well as the fact I am gaining a brand new cultural experience. The opportunity to learn in Ireland will, without a doubt, be one of the most cherished parts of my growth as an athletic training student.

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 Students Benefit from a Wide Range of Clinical Opportunities at Lindenwood-Belleville

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Lindenwood University -Belleville

By: Ben Wildman (SLU MAT Class of 2018), Jazmon Carroll, Cody Hutson, and Chris Mecherle (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

The college experience at Lindenwood University - Belleville has been an amazing experience thus far. Shifting from a high school to a college has been an adjustment, but the plethora of modalities, staff, and diligent, hard-working student athletes has been a pleasure to be around. Life in a larger athletic training room has its challenges such as: staying organized, staying clean, and addressing less than full functioning appliances. However, it also has its perks including: more space for rehab, extra plinths, increased storage space, a more inviting atmosphere for student-athletes, and much more. The benefits outweigh the inconveniences by far, and we have never had a problem performing treatments before and after practices due to lack of space. The staff, athletes, and AT students have definitely appreciated its utility.

One of the main differences between being a athletic training student at a high school compared to a college is the number of sports teams you are assigned to. In a college setting, you typically are given one, maybe two or three sports, while you are the athletic trainer for all teams at a high school setting. At Lindenwood, we were all assigned to one sport. One of us is with wrestling, one with rugby, another is with baseball, and one with Men and Women’s ice hockey. By being with different sports, this is giving us the opportunity to have different experiences despite being at the same clinical site. This also provides us with opportunities to learn from our peers as we share techniques and teachable moments when we are all together. We are grateful to be given the chance to share a learning environment with our peers in the Lindenwood-Belleville Athletic Training Education Program. We are very lucky to have opportunities to mentor and learn alongside them.

Ben Wildman (SLU MAT Class of 2018)

As a PY2, I continued my clinical experience at LU-B after football season by joining the men and women’s ice hockey teams under the mentorship of Tim Woodstock, MS, ATC/LAT. Tim and I spend our afternoons at the Meramec Shark Tank where the teams practice and provide Athletic Training services for games on Friday and Saturday nights. Both of our teams have successfully secured bids to their respective National Championship Tournaments, which are played over spring break. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of their trip and their quest for the title of National
Champions. I really enjoy being around the student-athletes as they all have very diverse backgrounds. We have student-athletes that hail from Europe, Canada, and Australia. Each student-athlete brings unique experiences and talents to their teams. Being at the ice rink has forced Tim and I to become creative with our intervention strategies as well as our equipment and space. There is never a bad day at the rink as we are always having fun and learning every single day.

Jazmon Carroll (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Going into my second clinical rotation at LU-B, I have been placed under the mentorship of Lauren Randazzo, MA, ATC, CSCS. Everyday during the week, Lauren and I, along with another AT student at Lindenwood, facilitate rehabilitations, prepare athletes for practice, and then head up to both men and women’s wrestling practices. Being a part of the wrestling team at LU-B has been an unexpectedly great experience. Coming in, I was not familiar with wrestling in the slightest bit, but now I have gotten really into the sport. On February 17th, LU-B hosted the Men’s Wrestling AMC Conference Championships. Despite it being a fifteen-hour day, it ended up being an amazing opportunity where I was able to learn a lot. At the end of the day, three of our wrestlers placed second, while one of them advanced to Nationals. Not only is there success on the men’s team, but one of the athletes on the female team recently became the National Champion. As previously stated, this experience has been a great one, and everyday I am learning and having fun. I am so grateful.

Cody Hutson (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Never would I think that I would be helping out a sport such as men’s rugby. It is such an aggressive sport that I was honestly intimidated by. But I have had the opportunity to get to know a couple of the athletes and they treat me with respect and like part of their close-knit family. While I have had the ability to work with good athletes, I have been even luckier to have Sarah Hayden MAT, ATC as my preceptor. She is always available to answer any questions I may have and has enough confidence in me to wait until I ask for guidance or consider my answer as a possible option even if it isn’t her first choice. I am not always confident in myself but having someone behind me as a guide towards on hand learning is definitely the most beneficial way for me to learn. I am having a great amount of fun with the people that surround me at this clinical site and I cannot wait to see what else this semester has in store for me there. 

Chris Mecherle (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Experience with the baseball team at LU-B began as a slow recovery for many injured players at the start of the season. Under the guidance of Stephen (Curtis) Wilkerson MS, ATC we have been able to successfully rehabilitate many of the previously injured players back to their full potential. We have spent more time this year at baseball practices than spent in previous years, and it has given us the chance to get to know the guys more and examine what makes some individuals more prone to injury. Being around Curtis, the other Lindenwood students, and the members of the baseball team has been a very rewarding experience, since we can all put forth our knowledge to keep the team healthy. Be it at double headers, practices, or in the AT room, injury prevention and rehabilitation are always being performed.

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 Inducted into Alpha Eta Allied Health Honor Society

The Saint Louis University chapter of Alpha Eta, the National Scholastic Honor Society for Allied Health Professions, held its annual induction ceremony in the Multipurpose Room of the Allied Health Building at Saint Louis University on November 16, 2017.

The Society is named for the Greek letters equivalent to the first letters of Allied Health (AH), which are Alpha Eta.  The purpose of the Society is the promotion and recognition of significant scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the allied health professions.

The following SLU AT students were honored in this year's ceremony:

• Alexander Hubbs - Liberty, Missouri (MAT Class of 2018)
• Erin Fabbri - Des Plaines, Illinois (MAT Class of 2019)
• Ryan Frantz - Troy, Missouri (MAT Class of 2019)
• Chris Mecherle - Bloomington, Illinois (MAT Class of 2019)
• Margaret (Maggie) Rowell - Lakewood, Ohio (MAT Class of 2019)

Congratulations to this year's Alpha Eta honorees!

SLU AT Students Find Excellent Professional Role Model in Preceptor at Kirkwood HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Kirkwood High School

By:  Christopher Mecherle and Matt Murphy (SLU MAT Class of 2019)

Being the only certified athletic trainer at a large school can be chaotic and trying at times but Denise Grider MAT, ATC, CSCS, our preceptor at Kirkwood High School, has proved that she is more than capable of dealing with the sometimes-overwhelming workload. We are fortunate to have her as a guide along the first steps of our career paths.

Through her we have learned how to keep order in the chaos, care for patients in an efficient and thorough manner, and interact with fellow faculty. In addition to teaching us new ways to tape, therapeutic modalities, and other hands on skills required for athletic training, Denise has showed us the way to earn the trust of our patients and truly get to know them in order to provide full care.

While Denise has been incredible, the students and faculty at Kirkwood have also been outstanding. The atmosphere the students, coaches, and administration create definitely makes going into the school everyday interesting and enjoyable. It's safe to say that Denise’s professionalism has rubbed off on us, and it certainly aided our growth towards becoming athletic trainers. The rest of the school has also made a positive impact in our first few months of our First Professional Year.

It has been an absolute pleasure to spend our first clinical experience at Kirkwood High School, and we hope to carry the experience we have gathered there to wherever we work in the future.

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.