Better Moves, Better Care

AET students guide SONO students through hands-on training during their second session at the AET clinic

The sonography lab at the college is not where you might expect to find athletic therapy students. Yet, here they are, carefully studying their peers as they perform ultrasound scans, noting movements that most people wouldn't notice - the slight twist of a wrist, the angle of a shoulder, the way weight shifts during a scan. It's a fresh approach to injury prevention that's changing how both programs think about workplace wellness.

What began as a simple idea between AET instructor Melissa Roumanis and Sonography instructor Eleze Munro has become a model for hands-on learning at Camosun. Their collaboration creates natural teaching moments, where sonography practice sessions reveal real insights about workplace wellness.

The collaboration, now in its second year, is part of the that sets Camosun's AET program apart from other athletic therapy schools across Canada.

"We're trying to break down the stereotype that we only work with athletes. Students need to know how to help all kinds of people - office workers, trades people, healthcare workers. Anyone who moves for a living."

- Melissa Roumanis, AET Instructor

"Not many other athletic therapy schools offer this ergonomics course (AET 450 - Ergonomics)," explains Melissa. "We're trying to break down the stereotype that we only work with athletes. Students need to know how to help all kinds of people - office workers, trades people, healthcare workers. Anyone who moves for a living."

In the ergonomics course, third-year AET students expand their expertise beyond sports medicine to address workplace health and injury prevention through two key sessions. In the first session, they immerse themselves in sonography, studying the physical demands of the profession. They observe every movement, analyze postures, identify potential injury risks, and understand the unique challenges these healthcare professionals face daily.

While AET students learn about workplace injuries, the Sonography program sees its own unique advantages.

"The sonography students typically only scan each other," explains Eleze. "Having AET students involved gives them a chance to work with different body types while learning about injury prevention. It's practical experience they wouldn't get otherwise."

Equipped with their observations, AET students create detailed wellness guides for sonographers. These comprehensive resources include targeted exercises, proper lifting techniques, and stretches designed for career longevity. In the second session, they present these programs at the AET clinic, teaching sonography students techniques they can use throughout their careers.

The program pushes AET students past sports medicine, teaching them to spot injury risks in everyday workplace movements. They are learning to protect workers before injuries happen.

"We're preparing our students with education for the real world," says Melissa. "Whether they end up working with athletes or in occupational health settings, they'll have the skills to assess, prevent, and treat injuries across different professional environments."

Camosun is one of just ten post-secondary institutions across Canada offering accredited athletic therapy education. By turning everyday clinical sessions into shared learning experiences, Camosun is creating graduates who understand not just their own field, but how it connects to the bigger healthcare picture.

For anyone interested in becoming an athletic therapist, Camosun's AET program offers a chance to learn by doing, to work across healthcare disciplines, and to make a real difference in workplace health. As one student put it, "We're not just learning about injuries - we're learning how to prevent them before they happen."

AET Bachelor's Degree

Accredited by the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association.

Learn more