Sports Specialist—Athletic training department hires first-ever intern

For the fall semester, a temporary new staff member has joined the athletic training department—Dave Moder, the athletic training department’s first-ever intern, who started on Sept. 1 and will treat athletes’ injuries until December.

Hiring an intern has allowed the department to take the time to start a thorough search for a professor to replace Gayle Thompson, who taught both didactic (lecture) and clinical athletic training courses, according to Sara Koski, head athletic trainer and clinical instructor for the athletic training education program.

“We had a short amount of time, so we wanted to hire a short-term employee,” Koski said. “(It gave) us time to search for a good faculty member.”

The temporary intern position, which pays less than a regular therapist would, has also allowed current staff members to spend less time rehabbing students and as a result teach classes that were formerly taught by Thompson.

“It’s nice to have an intern to take on extra service duties, (so we have more time to teach),” Koski said. “(Dave) does a really nice job—he’s eager to learn and get experience.”

Moder, who graduated in December 2008, has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Western Michigan University (WMU). Prior to graduating, Moder worked in an undergraduate rotational program with WMU’s football and basketball teams, as well as a stint at Kalamazoo College, before passing his Board of Certification exam in athletic training.

Post-certification, Moder moved to Grand Rapids to work at a physical therapy clinic. At Albion, he will be diagnosing and treating injuries in the college’s student athletes.

“Coming from a clinical setting, now I’m doing acute care stuff again,” Moder said. “Acute care, you’re going to deal with blood, broken bones and excitement. It’s like a puzzle that you have to figure out yourself.”

Carter Sherman, Belleville first-year and member of the cross-country team, said he found Albion’s athletic training department to be a vast improvement over his high school’s department.

“You’re not in the best mood because you have a pain in something (when you come in),” Sherman said. “The guys in here are really, really good—they’ve diagnosed small things connecting to other things. They take care of you instead of blowing you off for a football player.”