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NHMI Fellowship Testimonials

Keith Belmore, MEd, ATC

The NHMI Athletic Training Fellowship provided me opportunities to challenge myself academically and clinically. In this unique program I was exposed to areas of medicine and health care I had yet to encounter in my education or graduate assistantship. Having the opportunity to learn from multiple physicians and allied health specialists only strengthened my clinical skills and critical thinking ability. All of the various components of the fellowship from the clinic and high school to the rotations and research provided learning opportunities that fostered my growth in sports medicine. During my time in the Fellowship I was placed in unique situations and settings that allowed me to grow as a young professional. These experiences coupled with the unique responsibility of completing the Fellowship while serving as the Head Certified Athletic Trainer for the Manchester Wolves was the platform for me to become a well rounded and confident athletic trainer and solidified my career aspirations in athletic training. Looking back on my year spent as an NHMI fellow there is no question that the experiences and people I met during this year helped shape me into the athletic trainer I am today. I am truly thankful for the Experience of a Lifetime both professionally and personally.

Lindsay Labore, ATC

Opportunities are endless. That is how I felt before, during, and after completing the NHMI athletic training fellowship. It is no doubt, one of the greatest experiences that I have encountered in my life so far.

If you want to improve and expand your skills as a clinician, you will. If you want to spend one on one time with physicians in various medical fields, you will. If you want to spend time working with knowledgeable, wonderful physical therapists, you will. I know I did, and that’s exactly what I got, plus more. This fellowship allowed me to grow in my personal and professional life as well as build relationships that will last a lifetime. I have valued all of the opportunities that the fellowship came with because I truly believe it has profoundly impacted the person I am today and where my life is headed.

I had a strong desire to become a Physician Assistant before the fellowship, and going through this experience solidified that desire. I will be headed back to school to begin my journey as a PA and could not be happier. However, it also opened up my mind to the many alternative careers and professions there are in the medical field. It truly is amazing what I encountered over the course of one year and how much of that year will stay with me throughout my life!

Tamara Valovich McLeod, PhD, ATC

I can honestly say that without the NHMI Fellowship I would not be in the position that I am in today. After completing a Master's degree in kinesiology, I was looking for a way to get back into athletic training and the Fellowship program allowed me to return to my athletic training roots. During my time as a fellow I was exposed to many diverse healthcare settings and was able to participate in several clinical rotations that allowed me to learn more about other healthcare professions, while teaching others about athletic training. Looking back, I feel the individuals involved with the Fellowship program, especially the research component, were invaluable resources that led me to enroll at University of Virginia in the Doctoral Program in Sports Medicine. The clinical, teaching, and research experiences I gained during my one year as a Fellow have benefited me greatly as a young faculty member and athletic training researcher. I am pleased to say that one of my own students has followed in my footsteps in the program. I would encourage any young athletic trainer to consider expanding their athletic training horizons through the NHMI Fellowship.

Genny Welch, ATC

I chose to do the fellowship because I was curious as to what else was out there. I had given some thought about going back to school to be a PA and figured this would help me decide if that's what I wanted to do. I learned so much and realized how much I really did love the field of athletic training. There is no where else where you can experience so much in such a short amount of time. Being in the OR and seeing the surgeries makes you much stronger at the rehab side of an injury. One of the things I liked the most was the fact that we were able to work as ATC's at a local high school while also getting additional clinical experience. State football and basketball titles were just an added benefit!!!

Becky Scanlon, MS, ATC, PES

Huge personal growth is the best way for me to describe my experience as an NHMI athletic training fellow. After college there are so many possibilities to pursue with an athletic training degree. During my year with the institute I met and worked with amazing people, experienced surgeries and areas of medicine that most athletic trainers will never see, gained experience in a biomechanics lab, and further expanded my abilities in an athletic training setting. This fellowship can open doors and create networking opportunities for a lifetime. Honestly, there are daily situations where I draw from some of my experiences to help relate to athletes and to introduce learning experiences for my students. The fellowship is a catapult into whatever you are willing to work for. It builds independence, confidence, and initiative which are invaluable personal traits.

Aaron Copeland, ATC

The NHMI Athletic Training Fellowship Program provided me with many opportunities for learning and growth as an athletic trainer and as a person. The program exposed me to many areas of medicine. I was able watch many doctors and medical professionals perform a variety of evaluations and office procedures. I was able to watch over 50 different surgical procedures ranging from fracture fixation and total joint replacements to brain surgery and open heart surgery. Not only were these experiences amazing and extremely interesting, they have helped me to sharpen my own clinical skills as well as make important decisions about my future. In addition, spending a year in Manchester was outstanding. I was able to enjoy hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, the beach, watch local minor league ice hockey and baseball games, and explore New England.

Patrick O’Sullivan, ATC

As a young professional, my experience in the Athletic Training field was limited to what I learned from the classroom, and from the literature. In searching for employment, I came across an experience that would enlighten the fellow as to what happens to an athlete if further medical evaluation is needed. The description sounded more like an invitation to approach the operating table, have a look at the X-ray picture, sit in with an MD consultation, or even get your hands dirty with a research project. Then when I was chosen, I felt like I had a backstage pass to the world of medicine. The experience itself is organized so that everyone involved expects to have a set of eyes peeking over their shoulder, asking questions about every move they make. My personal favorite was the back of the ambulance, because it had immediate impact on how I handled emergency situations. To this day, I still talk about the hundreds of surgeries, or visits to MD's offices like I was just there. The Fellowship experience is a year of intense learning, in a very unique educational model. I feel honored to be a part of such a hard working group, and have recommended the experience to many driven professionals.

Kevin Horn, ATC

I can’t say enough about the athletic training fellowship offered by NHMI. The fellowship gave me the opportunity to participate in research at the University of New Hampshire, and develop my leadership & organizational skills by hosting two educational conferences. Thru the fellowship’s well-planned mix of rotations and work at the high school and a local physical therapy clinic I was exposed to a wide variety of medical fields that I would not have had access to otherwise. Participating in this unique post-graduate experience helped me focus my goals and made me realize that I wanted to continue on with my own education. Besides all of the professional benefits NHMI offers, it gave me the opportunity to explore a new part of the country, make friends and gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. Special thanks to Laura Decoster and Dr. James Vailas for an unforgettable year and all of the hard work that they put into making this fellowship possible.

Melissa (Reinemman) Manus

The athletic training fellowship is a great opportunity for any athletic trainer looking to improve themselves as a professional. Diverse and informative rotations allow you to build your knowledge base and skills as well as have first-hand exposure to a variety of other health professionals that an athletic trainer may need to interact with at some point during their career. Also the time spent in the clinic and on the playing field gave me the chance to strengthen my evaluation and diagnostics abilities as well as refine my rehabilitation skills and techniques. The research component helped to build academic strength as well. This allowed me to become a more well-rounded professional and open the door to other career opportunities in the sports medicine field. Even after the fellowship was completed I still have benefited from the professional relationships developed along the way. This community of friends and professionals has continued to offer support and mentorship in my present career.

Mac Hall

I had no problem getting my CPR certification. My technique was great and my timing was in perfect rhythm. CPR is easy! And when a nurse asked me if I was going to do compressions on a real person who had coded, I wanted to hide in a storage closet! I didn’t, I put on some gloves and pushed on that man’s chest for what seemed like two hours (in reality, it was only 90 seconds). It was scary, and no amount of theory or practice on a mannequin can prepare you for that moment. College teaches you a lot about how things work and what you should do in certain situations, but books and lecturers only give you part of the picture. When you finally experience the things you’ve studied, only then can you really know and understand them. The New Hampshire Musculoskeletal Institute offers you experiences like that daily. Some things you only see once, but it prepares you should it ever happen again, so you learn from it and next time can do it better. And the things we, as A.T.,C.’s, see a lot of, NHMI offers an abundance of hands-on, practical experiences, so you get really good at managing and treating them. This benefits you, your team, and your patients. Books prepare you for the things you will experience, but NHMI lets you experience the things you will experience!