CU-Lock Haven athletic training student gains experience diagnosing injuries of student-athletes, developing rehabilitation plans at UNC-Chapel Hill
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (12/05/2025) — Dean Dombrowski, of Ringtown, spent his last semester in the athletic training program at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven completing a full-immersive rotation experience with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC), supervised by his preceptor, Jasper Chang, MS, LAT, ATC.
Dombrowski worked with the UNC men's and women's track and field teams. The teams compete in the Division 1 Power 4 Atlantic Coast Conference, which leads to the teams competing against the best competition across the country against other Power 4 schools such as Virginia, Florida State, Duke and Clemson.
Dombrowski spent the majority of his immersive rotation in the Sports Medicine Center developing rehabilitation and daily treatment plans. He was tasked with evaluating and diagnosing injuries of athletes vigorously training for their next competition. Previous experiences with Lock Haven athletics and other surrounding sports teams helped prepare Dombrowski for his time with UNC.
Dombrowski traveled with the track and field teams to local competitions to experience Power 4 meet days. He also helped the athletic training staff host the Dick Taylor Challenge at UNC during the indoor track season. Dombrowski's duties during the meets were orthopedic evaluation and diagnosis, treatment and emergency care.
At UNC, Dombrowski developed new skills to enhance his future clinical practice. He learned many different ways to use a mulligan belt to help relieve joint stiffness in the athletes he was treating. He also learned ankle mobilizations to add to his rehabilitation skillset.
Dombrowski gained experience participating as an integral part of a sports medicine team working with the four track and field certified athletic traininers: Chang, Braden Hinkston, Lauren Fisher and Noah Hogrefe; as well as Dr. Travis Bryan, the team physician; and the entire UNC track and field coaching staff: Chris Miltenberg, Jessica Riden, Michael Eskind, Amin Nikfar, Jody Stewart and Ian Moini.
"I cannot thank my preceptors and professors enough for preparing me over the last two years for this eye-opening experience," Dombrowski said. "I would not be where I am today as an AT without their guidance."
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Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Julie Stellfox, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications, jms833@commonwealthu.edu, 570-484-2280Share this Story
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