Madison Williams

I am currently a student at Washington State University undergoing my Bachelor's in Sports Medicine and Master's in Athletic Training. During my 1st semester as an student intern I had the opportunity to work with all of the sports at WSU. This gave me a unique perspective to see how athletic training varies from sport to sport as well as a wide spectrum of injuries. During my 2nd semester, I was selected for men's basketball where I truly had the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities. My knowledge grew exponentially in rehabilitation design, modalities, stretches/releases, soft tissue massage, taping, and quick on the court care. Furthermore, working in men's basketball gave me insight to injuries commonly seen throughout the sport; therefore, equipping me with the best ways to prevent and treat the injuries.

During the month of August I completed my athletic training clinical immersive experience at AZ Compress Prep. This internship was dedicated time to focus on working as a full time athletic trainer without juggling the stress of academic demands. My experience at AZ Compass allowed me to make my own decisions regarding treatment plans, gain experience in evaluations, input documentation, and gain insight into working as a female surrounded by a male players and staff. Additionally, I got accustomed to working with a high fluctuation of athletes from various backgrounds. Furthermore, I demonstrated my ability to multiple task, think on my feet, and provide patient centered care.

Over the past two summers, I worked as a PT technician at San Tan Physical Therapy. During this experience, I have become skilled with demonstrating rehab exercises and queuing. Furthermore, I have gained knowledge in rehabilitation and designing rehab plans of my own. As a technician, it is prevalent that you are skilled with the ability to multitask. I would have 4-8 patients at once and was fully responsible for running them through their programs. Along with this task I would also be filling out charts, cleaning the facility/equipment, bringing new patients back, and utilizing modalities. In addition, this job taught me the importance of patient centered care and empathy. Rehabilitation can be a extremely frustrating experience for someone, so I made it my mission to always show kindness and understanding at work. This experience has greatly influenced the health care provider I am today.

Working as a teaching assistant for an emergency response course consisted of explaining and demonstrating first aid skills, splinting, CPR/AED, wound care, spine boarding, and airway establishment. My duties were to instruct labs, answer students' questions, and deliver practical exams. Assisting in the education of this class allowed my emergency response skills to up to date; I feel fully competent to provide care in an emergency situation.

This position involves educating students on anatomy and physiology, biomedical actions, medical terminology, and instructing labs. Throughout this, I demonstrated communication skills and enthusiasm with each student. Furthermore, I took it upon myself to create extra study aids for my students such as creating practice quizzes, in-depth power points, giving them access to coloring books, and providing additional study sessions. Also, I was responsible for grading exams and providing students with constructive feedback. Additionally, I worked closely with fellow TAs and the professor; therefore, I am familiar with working in a team setting.