ATSU provides free sports screenings for youth athletes
Posted: June 21, 2017
In April, A.T. Still University (ATSU) students, faculty, and staff provided free sports physicals to more than 1,400 high school student athletes in Glendale, Arizona through a partnership with Team of Physicians for Students (TOPS). The event was a collaboration between ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences Athletic Training program and ATSU’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA). The University provided 80 students and five faculty volunteers for the event.
TOPS is a Phoenix-area nonprofit organization that provides free sports physicals, including cardiac assessment, to junior college and high school student athletes in underserved communities. For most high school athletes, passing a sports physical is mandatory. However, many students can’t afford a costly doctor’s visit. TOPS strives to alleviate this burden so more students can enjoy the social, emotional, and health benefits of sports.
According to Beth Poppre, MEd, associate vice president of student affairs, the event was a great experience, not only for the athletes, but also for the ATSU volunteers who performed the exams. “It’s a wonderful community outreach opportunity,” she says. “It gives ATSU students the opportunity to make a difference, not only by helping the kids get approved for sports, but also by interacting with the kids as role models.”
Anthony Mancuso, DO, MPH, ’17, an ATSU-SOMA graduate who volunteered at the event, says it was rewarding to approve students for play. The experience also allowed him to hone his examination skills.
Among Dr. Mancuso’s patients was a sophomore who participated in baseball and wrestling. During the exam, the student complained about shoulder and neck pain, as well as numbness and tingling down his right arm and through his fingers. After the exam, Dr. Mancuso spoke with an orthopedic surgeon on site. They concluded that the student might be suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome, a disorder that involves compression of nerves or blood vessels between the collarbone and first rib. Because Dr. Mancuso correctly identified the problem, the student has made a follow-up appointment, and the issue will be addressed.
“My experience volunteering with TOPS was immensely rewarding, and it showed me what an impact the program has,” Dr. Mancuso says.
After he completes his residency in Ohio, Dr. Mancuso plans to return to Arizona to practice orthopedic surgery. He also hopes to continue volunteering with TOPS.
ATSU provided volunteers for a second TOPS event on June 17 at West-Maricopa Education Center. Volunteer participation was bolstered by the incoming class of physician assistant studies (PA) students, who began classes just days before the event. New students partnered with returning PA students, as well as students from ATSU-SOMA. Altogether, ATSU volunteers provided more than 500 junior college athletes with free sports physicals.