Road Trip to the Future

Stacey Chen decided on her major when she visited UE during Road Trip. Her roommate for the weekend was a current athletic training major, and after listening to her stories and experiences, Stacey realized that was definitely the direction she wanted to take.

“The hands-on experiences I can get at UE are really unusual,” she said. “I will graduate with so much real-life experience, which will prepare me for graduate school and life as a PT.”

Working Closely with Faculty

The benefit of the University’s small class sizes really shines in the athletic training program. Stacey gets to work closely with faculty members who are experienced physical therapists and athletic trainers. “You read about working closely with faculty in all the brochures and on the website,” Stacy said. “But when you get here, you realize it’s true!”

In her clinical rotations on campus, the class’s preceptor, Troy Coppus, makes sure each student has the chance to work with student-athletes from a variety of UE’s athletic teams. He also makes sure that the students get to not only observe treatment, but also have a hand in clinicals. “In clinicals, we get hands-on experiences with a variety of injuries in a real-life setting,” Stacey explained. “Having faculty nearby to help is a great benefit.”

Making a Difference

Stacey wants to help people and make a difference in people’s lives – and her experiences as an athletic training major put her in the right place every day. She and other members of the AT program help UE’s Division I student-athletes get healthy and stay healthy. Every six weeks, Stacey has the chance to work on athletes from a different sport, giving her a variety of experiences. “I love being able to see injuries get better right in front of my eyes,” she said. “Sometimes it takes a little time, but it feels so good to be able to make a big difference.”