Mollie Przybocki, second-year Master of Athletic Training program student, recently had the opportunity to hone her athletic training skills at Camp Woodward, one of the world’s top training grounds for aspiring athletes. She spent four weeks at Woodward, PA completing a clinical internship with athletes between the ages of 6 and 18 who participate in specialty action sports such as gymnastics, cheer, skateboarding, BMX, scooter, and parkour.
Working under the direct supervision of an athletic trainer, Przybocki managed emergency responses, injury evaluations, injury rehabilitation, and documentation of patient medical information.
“With over 250 athletes at the camp each week, patients were in and out of the athletic training room all day long. One of the biggest things I learned was how to quickly build a relationship with them so they could trust me to take care of them,” said Przybocki.
Due to COVID-19, Przybocki had not been in a clinical setting for almost five months, and she wondered if she would have the confidence in herself and her skills to do a good job. Once she started seeing patients, however, her nervousness dissolved. She didn’t have time to overthink her skills; she just did what needed to be done.
“It felt really good to prove to myself that I am capable in what I’ve learned, and it built my confidence exponentially,” she said.
Przybocki hopes to go back to Camp Woodward in the future. She felt like she was part of a family. Being a member of the medical team at Woodward, PA was an experience she will not forget. This internship made her fall in love with the profession all over again.
