Athletic Therapy offers rehab to students, not just varsity athletes

Nadia Ramsaroop, left, gives a patient an ultrasound on her ankle.

BY DONTEI WYNTER

Don’t be afraid to break a leg, twist an ankle or sprain your shoulder, because Sheridan’s  Athletic Therapy Centre has got your back.

Students are welcome to use the clinic, which is run by the Athletic Therapy students, who are trained to assess and rehabilitate injuries. The student therapists are working on a two-week rotation for school credit under certified supervision.

“So our students actually are required to be in here, they do two -week rotations. So every two weeks we have a new group of students that come in,” said Nicole Difilippo, acting clinical director.

The rehab clinic used to be in Oakville and then moved to the Davis campus in 2008.  Students start their days by going through a case conference with their patients.

Difilippo said staff talk about what patients are coming in and what goals they might have for themselves for that day.

Patients are greeted and treated through any manual rehab they want to do, while supervisors make sure everything goes according to plan.

Professionals watch the students while they rehabilitate their patients, who also have their own practices outside the school.

Melissa Dobson, assistant clinical director and former Sheridan student, said she took the program and returned to help the students.

“I’m basically doing the same thing that these guys [students] are doing and I own a clinic in London,” said Dobson.

The rehab students are treated as employees with their own set of responsibilities.

“All the students that are here, we take on our own patient loads and basically treat the general public or students from school, basically anyone that comes in,” said Nadia Ramsaroop, 24, a fourth year Athletic therapy student.

The students also get the chance to build a rapport with their patients as they would in the working world.

“I want them to trust me and tell me what’s going on so I can help them. I want to know that they’re doing their home programs. It’s a good relationship with each patient,” said Ramsaroop.

One of Ramsaroop’s patients had nothing but positive feedback for the care he was receiving.

“I came here last year and pretty much said ‘ Fix me, I’m broken’. For this injury Nadia is doing a wonderful job, top notch,” said 24-year-old Perry Fan, an Athletic Therapy student.

The clinic isn’t just open to Sheridan students but to the public as well. Students are charged $15 to register and another $15 to be assessed and then the rest of the sessions are free.