The athletic training (AT) department holds pirATe clinics open to all students, staff and faculty every Tuesday and Thursday. The clinics are meant to be a free on-campus resource for people following up injuries, having chronic pain and more, all assessed and treated by AT students.

The clinic is open from 1 to 3 p.m. and has the capacity to see up to four patients each day. The clinic’s booking system is available on their website. Shane Wibel, the staff member who oversees the clinics, is in his 11th year of teaching at Whitworth and moved from a split position as a professor and an athletic trainer into teaching full-time in spring of 2020.

This opportunity provides academic credit toward the student’s degree and the experience of working at a clinic without the need to go off campus. For those who are patients of the clinics, it is a way to treat issues without insurance or money. The only requirement to procure an appointment is a connection to Whitworth.  

According to Wibel, the purpose of the clinics is to allow AT students to get training outside athletic environments and to work with a variety of ages. After the trial run last year, the clinic has grown, and Wibel encourages anyone who may benefit from this resource to sign up for an appointment.