CU-Lock Haven provides athletic training graduate student with multiple hands-on clinical experiences

Before attending Commonwealth University-Lock Haven, Alexis Curtis, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, played competitive soccer with the B'Elite Sports Club. Seemingly always injured or sore, she spent numerous hours in her high school athletic training room. It was her high school athletic trainer, Eddie Giroux, who provided a positive outlook and influence for what her future career would turn out to be.

Curtis graduated from CU-Lock Haven in May with a master's degree in athletic training, after previously earning a bachelor's degree in heath and exercise science and a minor in psychology.

Throughout her last two years in the athletic training graduate program, she participated in numerous hands-on clinical experiences with Lock Haven fall sports, Central Mountain High School winter sports, Bald Eagle Area Jr/Sr High school fall sports, Lock Haven's rehabilitation clinic and a full immersion externship at Bucknell University. She also completed observation hours at Princeton University and UPMC.

Curtis' final clinical placement was her immersive experience at Bucknell University in Lewisburg. Bucknell is a NCAA Division I school and a member of the Patriot League Conference. She was placed with the spring football and track and field teams but also aided in treating women's water polo and men's soccer. Her duties under the supervision of a licensed athletic trainer during the internship consisted of providing hands on treatment to the student athletes, communicating effectively with her preceptors, and to evaluate and diagnose orthopedic injuries. This immersion experience provided her with decision making opportunities, new rehabilitation techniques, new electronic medical record documentation tools and growth in her self-confidence.

"Being at Bucknell was one of the best experiences so far," Curtis said. "My confidence has grown, and I have another home away from home. This immersion was one of the best things that could have happened to my career and I am forever grateful for the preceptors, people and experiences that Bucknell has brought into my life."

Throughout her career so far, she has been exposed to injuries such as a complete knee dislocation, cervical spine injury, multiple shoulder dislocations, Achilles tendon rupture and fibular head fracture. Being exposed to many acute emergency situations early on in her career has provided the experience and knowledge of how to handle such situations on her own.

Curtis is excited to see where her future leads, as she takes on the role of a certified athletic trainer in the collegiate setting. She credits her professors Jody Russell, Eric Lippincott, Steve Streator and Yvette Ingram and preceptors Rachel Thomas, Joanna Entz, Jen Semle, Scott Devore, Lindsey Dry, Ashley Struble, Kaitlyn Hager and Mark Grotzinger in helping her be the best possible athletic trainer she can be.