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Athletic Training Students Gain Experience with Student Activity Center

Athletic training students are gaining entry-level experience by treating injuries sustained at the Student Activity Center.

When a SAC user reports an injury, either the ICC or SAC staff fills out an injury report. If someone obtains an injury outside the ICC hours of operation — from 1:30 – 6 p.m. Monday through Friday — SAC employees will still fill out a report and make sure they get the proper care they need.

In fall 2014, the Injury Care Center — located in Room 057 of the SAC — evaluated 195 individuals and carried out rehabilitation with 51 patients. In spring 2015, the ICC performed 197 evaluations and completed rehabilitation with 50 patients. This semester, eight students are enrolled in a one-credit course that requires them to spend 14 hours a week treating student injuries and being present during intramural games in the SAC.

“We are third-year athletic training program for students,” said Essexville senior Megan Keen and ICC staff member. “We are qualified for all of the work we do and are also supervised by an assistant professor.”

The existence of the center itself is relatively unknown to most people who utilize the SAC, said coordinator Molly Jennings.

“(The ICC staff) has worked on marketing and trying to let students know we’re here,” Jennings said.

The Injury Care Center is open to anyone with a SAC membership. The center is free for students, though a script from University Health Services is needed for rehabilitation services, which operates on a fee for service basis.

“Usually, when students hurt themselves during a workout, they think the pain will go away after a night until a couple days go by and they still hurt,” Keen said. “That’s when they contact us.”

When it comes to physical injuries from exercising and playing sports, many students aren’t aware that they have actually hurt themselves, Keen said.

The ICC operates on a budget of $800 from University Health Services, which isn’t enough to cover the cost of tape when students go to the center to get their arm or leg taped after an injury, Jennings said. Patients are required to supply their own. The ICC does provide basic supplies for the immediate care of students and also has rehabilitation equipment.

“Something a lot of students ask when they hear we work here is ‘how much do you get paid’ when in fact we don’t,” said Cheboygan senior Melissa Culfa.

Working in the ICC serves as clinical field experience for students, so they don’t get paid for their work.

“This semester we have seen a lot of shoulder and knee injuries, and with intramural sports we see a lot of sprains and fractures,” Culfa said.

The ICC checks IM fields to make sure they’re in good playing condition. It also modifies rules of sports that cause a lot of the same injuries.

“A couple weeks ago we were playing in our basketball championship and someone took a fall to the ground and the medical staff did a good job with making sure they were OK by giving a fair amount of tests and a quick examination,” said Rogers City junior Kaitlin Horn.

Injury Care Center appointments can be made at (989) 774-2345.

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