Hey, this is Sandy. And Randy? And we're here on AT Corner. Being an athletic trainer comes with ups and downs and we're here to showcase it all. Join us as we share our world in sports medicine. Welcome back to another episode of AT Corner. For this week's episode, we will be presenting stories that every certified athletic trainer has experienced at one time.
Every single one. Every single one, no matter what setting, no matter when, everyone has had to experience the transition from being a student to being a full grown, grown up certified athletic trainer. It sounds so scary when you say like full grown certified athletic trainer. Like I feel like one day you're a student and then all of a sudden you're a you're a full ass athletic trainer. Yep, you have 3 letters after your name. Welcome.
I guess it kind of makes it a little bit more attainable or like a little bit more. I don't have the right word for just understanding that every single athletic trainer you've seen out there has been a novice at some.
Point you know, that is funny to think about that like I feel like you see people that have practice for like 1015, like 30 plus years and you're thinking like, man, they just have it all together and like all this and it's just like, you know what, at one time they were in your shoes. And I feel like if you have that perspective, I think that helps just kind of remind you that you know what, like when you come out like you don't, you don't have all the answers, you know,
And that's why we practice. That's why we always get better. That's why we have CE us. And I don't think any newly certified should be expected to like, oh, you should know everything. You should have all the answers. Right, So if you guys are new, this episode is actually going to be a collection of stories from ourselves, from our fellow athletic trainers, from listeners who just have experience in this topic. And like we said, everyone has
experience in this topic. But really, I think going off of what Randy said, what I really liked reading through these stories when I was putting together this episode was everyone has such a vastly different experience. So I feel like there is some element of predictability, but there's also some that's like you're just going to have to do it. Yeah. And you're just going to have to see how it goes.
Yeah. And I think that's the thing too, is like, obviously we do our best to prepare students and like get them ready to be certified. But like at the end of the day, like no matter what, you're never going to necessarily feel, oh, I'm 100% ready. There's always going to be just that little I I turn around and there's no preceptor there. I mean, even when you're 30 years certified, you're going to feel like that sometimes. Exactly like when your team doc texted you about a quadrangular
syndrome and you're like, what? I've never heard of that. Because I'm tight. Exactly. Do you remember your transition from being a student to a certified athletic trainer? Yes, yes. And I, I think looking back, I appreciate it a little bit more than when I was in it. I think everyone, almost everyone, can agree with that. Like, I don't know, like it was, I still really enjoyed the learning experience that it was and the help and the support that I had.
I feel like I had a lot of support to where I was allowed to be a clinician and like able to go, Hey, you're, you are certified now. Like you have a job to do, Go do it. But also with the support that you can ask questions or if like you were struggling, like it's not like it, you would be expected like, Oh, well, you
should be able to handle that. Like I, I felt supported and it, and it was like there was definitely some growing pains too, because like where I really kind of started working like I was a student there too. So it's it's also not easy on them because it's like you were just literally just a couple months ago, you were a student. I know we turned the page and the next day something, something's different. We got to treat you differently. Yeah, for sure.
So I think that's what also made it unique. But as I look back at it, like that's still probably one of my favorite memories, like the experiences from that and what I learned and really what I learned from that transition to being a certified athletic trainer in that experience really has set, I feel like my clinical philosophy going forward. I feel like I've really formulated a lot of what I do based on that transition, so. Honestly, I think that brings up a good point too.
Like the, the difference between some, because there are some people who submitted stories about like they work where they were a student and like my first job, I was a student 1st and
then I, I worked there. But sometimes you get the benefit of it where it's like you have instant mentors, but then sometimes you get the other side of it where they really still treat you like a student and you're like, I'm not a student anymore, but you, but like you aren't a student, but you're like, again, there's not much that like you're still a couple weeks has not really changed much, right? You're still learning, but obviously that role has changed.
So sometimes it's like hard for people on the other side to to treat you differently and support you in the way that they that benefits you the most. Yeah, for sure. So I guess it just also depends on where you're at. Yeah, KDR our first story, she says. My story from student certified started, I think, as most people's does. I was contracted through APT clinic. I was so anxious about being
alone. I didn't have to do clinic time, which was nice, but it was also isolating as a new A-Team. Although I did feel alone, I also felt like I was being watched like a hawk and 2nd guessed on everything I did from a distance. Weekly meetings, going over caseloads to see who might need PT, having to state my case every time, etcetera. That made it really hard for me to know if I was doing anything right.
I felt like I was always wrong and it made documenting feel even scarier than it needed to be. Two years ago I was hired on as a school employee which was amazing. That summer I did some per diem work and I realized I really do know what I'm doing. That's a nice feeling. By the way, yeah, it is. That has made this so much better for me mentally. My advice would be to trust your gut and your training and make more connections because I didn't.
So I started with this one because some people thrive being alone on their first job and some people thrive with more supervision. Some people think they thrive with more supervision but would really thrive better alone. And some people the opposite. You just have to go through some like trial and error and just really see what works for you. Like for example, I for sure thought there's zero chance I'm going to be able to be alone. Like I still need people around.
Like if I'm alone, like I have no safety net, like who am I going to turn to? But honestly, when I started at a high school in the fall of my first year, it completely changed my confidence. Like being alone and having to make the decisions and having no one to fall back on was so much better for me and my growth and my confidence and my happiness honestly, rather than having someone who I turned to right on the spot because it made me do it. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure.
I mean, yeah, you have to. And you know, it's funny. That's why I tell students too. And it's just like especially the ones who like come in for like they're immersive and stuff. It's just like, honestly at this point, like you're a test away from like being me. All right? So it's going to be on like you're going to have to make decisions. And so I really do try to give them that space to start to like, hey, make a decision. Don't, don't look at me.
Like obviously let me know. Let me know what. We're doing. But like, don't look at me and be like, oh, like, is it this? No, no, no, no, no. This is your call. Right. My favorite line to interrupt you, my favorite line with my students is because they'll come out to me and they'll be like, can we do this? And I'm like, no, you're you're going to change your words and you're going to say we are going to do this. I am letting you know. Yes. And I'll be like, OK, sounds
good. Yeah, exactly. Most. And you know what? That actually brings up a good point, because again, I tell them that too. It's like I don't don't especially the older ones. Don't ask me like, can I? No, no, you know what? You have the tools. No first year is different than second. Year, yes, for sure. That's why like I have like yes, if you were unsure as a first year, then please ask. We will. We'll talk about it. But yeah, no, we're talking about like about to be certain.
Those immersives, like who are there? Like, yeah, no, I want you to really start formulating. Hey, I'm doing this. But like you said, yeah, that's the biggest thing is like, I want them to let me know. And honestly, most of the time, like I would say like 90% of the time what they come up with for their treatment plan sounds great. Yeah, that sounds great to me. Right. Like maybe, yeah, maybe I would do it slightly different, but it doesn't mean that's. Randy. Yeah, exactly.
That doesn't mean they're wrong, right? That just means I like doing it this way. But I like them to explore them as an athletic trainer too. Because it's a practice. Exactly. Now, there may be times like I might have to be like that's a, that is a great idea. But for this case, we have to kind of do it this way. But again, I think that's like 5 to 10% of the time. Right, you want to read this next one by Anonymous. Yes, anonymous, this.
Is like kind of like. Sometimes you just don't get to pick what you get. Yeah, that's true, Anonymous says. The head AT unexpectedly left and took a new job two weeks after I was hired so I had AD 2 football team by myself as a new grad. Nothing says welcome to the profession than that. Then an assistant AT moved across the country mid fall semester. So at one point I had five sports. Oh gosh. As much as it sucked, I feel so much more prepared for next year
and learned a lot. Communication was huge and I made sure to tell each coach my schedule as well as prioritizing self-care. They were all understanding as we dropped from 4A TS to two very quickly. Ultimately, I fell back on trusting my skills and everything we learned in school. It was hard watching my classmates have a very different year than me, but I kept remembering to trust the process. Our football team didn't win one game. That sounds familiar. There's a lot of trust.
In the process when that happens. I spine boarded 3 times, gosh holy smokes. One medical retirement, holy smokes 7 surgeries and LED the conference in injuries. My best advice is to stay patient, trust your skills and remember your why. Adversity does shape you. I found a love for wrestling and the team was amazing to work with and kept my sanity during all the chaos. Yeah, this.
That sounds like my first year. My football team didn't like one game in spine board 3. Times like a like one of your weeks, just a week. I love this for so many reasons, but I feel like the, the thing that stuck out to me was just how you just never know how your first year is going to go. But also because there is so much that can be thrown at you. And I feel like everyone's first year has so much in it. And I don't know how much of it has to do with like you just
haven't seen that much yet. So like, it feels like there's a ton. Yeah. Or if it's really like everyone just luck at the draw, everyone's getting the big injuries. Or also could be that usually like your first year, like maybe you're working like a lot more per diem or something. And per diem has like a higher injury risk, you know, So maybe maybe we're just seeing like some, I don't know, some crazy
things. But I feel like something that I want to point out is you are a lot closer to the textbooks when you first graduate then you are as you continue on in your. Career. Yeah, that's the one thing that we we do kind of bring up with like the students is like the ones that like just took their BOC or just passed their BOC like to be like book wise, they probably know.
Like so much. So much information, more than like what we would right 'cause there's some stuff that you kind of think back like, Oh yeah, that's right. Like if someone came in with Wolf Parkinson white disease or whatever it's called, like I would probably have to go back and look and yeah, and look at the details, whereas you guys have it fresh. Yeah, exactly. You, you had to probably study for it for the BOC, right.
But yeah, like so at least book wise and content wise like that is like you, you know a lot coming out and now it's like fine tuning that and using that as you practice each year, each month, so on and so forth. How prepared were you to be on your own as a certified athletic trainer for the first time? I like to think I was really prepared, but did. You did. You feel like you were prepared.
Though I mean, I did, I mean, I was already like as an older student, probably more independent than I probably should have been, but. And like the IT will be like this is sorry to interrupt you again. So I actually to, I did ask this on our Instagram story questions and I made it a slider and literally it was right smack dab in the middle between wildly unprepared and born ready, which means that either a lot of people put like right in the middle or a lot of people put the.
Extremes. Exactly the extremes. And there are some people like in my cohort, who seemed way more ready than others, but we all have the same training. For sure, I I think looking back, like I think the day-to-day, like the actual patient care, I felt ready. I think where I wasn't quite ready was just all the like administrative expectations as a certified like just especially like just like working in like in AD one environment, right?
Like, like there's just certain coaches have certain expectations and like having to deal with that and how to manage that with the four other coaches that you have to deal with working track, like just trying to manage that and like how they like things done, how like how to, how to interact with your docs, right? Like I feel like you don't really see that as a student. And it's hard to like try to
expose like we try our best. But again, it's, it's really weird to just shoot a text to your team doc and like, oh, can I send him this? What do I say to him? Oh my gosh, I don't. There are still sometimes, and I'm six years in, like there are still sometimes that like I will draft a message to our doc and I'll look at my coworkers and I'm like, can you read this, please? You know what, I started that way. Like I was always so scared, but I feel like I've gotten like I'm
really proud of myself. I feel I've gotten to a point where like I don't feel that way talking to doctors anymore. Like every doctor that I've, most of the team docs that I've kind of been around and worked with have always been so helpful, so welcoming and so like. I think I've, I think I've had some not so of that doctors that have not helped me, but I feel like I have been more confident previously. For sure.
I mean, shoot, I mean we've had some team, I think both of us have had this interaction where we've had some team docs hit us with. So what do you want to do? Wait, hold on. I. Was asking you. So I mean, I think, I think like being in that kind of environment you the really good team docs and the ones that are really good to work with.
Are so fun to work with. One, it's so fun to work with, but are the ones who really understand, like you guys, like you guys kick ass as a TS, you know, and they really, really trust us and really rely on us too. So so that's helped. But yeah, I think early on that was always, it was always just those little things that again, you're just not taught in school that you don't experience until you're in it, right? And you have to just go, right?
Christina S says I definitely was not ready to be the one making the ultimate decisions. Being in GA for grad school was so clutch, such a crucial experience for me to get confident. I'm sad it's not really a thing anymore. Probably my second year as a GA, if not my first full time job after out of high school, was when the decision making got easier. I kind of had no choice. Yeah, that's true. I always thought being in GA would be really cool. It's. Because Randy got to do that.
And I, I was, I already had my masters, so it was like not needed. You see, I think the GA ship, it was bad and good at the same time. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I, I loved my experience and I again, I thought it did. I thought it helped me feel prepared to now again, you're it's like you're an athletic, like you are an athletic trainer, but there are some still guard rails for you to help create this kind of like. You still get autonomy, but the exactly.
You have resources that are still that understand that. It's like 1 training wheel instead. Of yeah, like it's, it's basically, we understand you're still a baby, but we still want you to learn and, and be the clinician that you are. But also on the flip side, that's because the place that I was at, very supportive environment, they really understood that like, again, you're a grad assistant, you were also going to school. We're also paying for your school.
So you better be in class, you better do well. Right. Right, whereas like maybe some other places didn't necessarily have that support and they were like this is your team figured out. So I think that's where it kind of I think the depending where you're at is probably the experience that it was. Because there are some JS who are like, oh, I'm working 80 hour weeks, yeah. And then I don't know how you're
surviving. And our staff, even if you wanted to, our staff would be like, no, no shot. So it's yeah, I think that's, but again, I think that's with any job just in general, right? There are jobs that are very supportive and, you know, really do a good job with like work life balance stuff. And then there's other jobs that this is your team. You need to figure it out. So I think it goes across the board. But yeah, I I think there were some good aspects of the grad
assistant ships. And I know like a lot of places are trying to OK they because they did lose a lot of workforce because of that. So you know, some of that's turned into full time jobs, some of it's turned into part time jobs and some are still kind of making better paid internships that are kind of emulating Aga ship so. It we're in the Wild West of that still.
Yeah, I think it's hard because you have a new grad who is expected now to be a full-fledged athletic trainer and equivalent with athletic trainers who have been doing this for a long time. And I feel like sometimes that doesn't really set people up for success. I think it also really depends on the environment.
And we're just going to keep going back to that because I know we've said that already a bunch of times, but even like the GA ship, like if you had a great environment, you thrived. And if you didn't have a great environment, like it was a different story. So you can't really compare apples to apples. Catherine J says. I wasn't prepared for dealing with students who didn't have access to specialist and imaging because of insurance income,
etcetera. I work in a secondary public school setting and I was on my own. I'm part of a larger organization, but I was slash am the only AT in my school. So because I'm affiliated with the hospital, I was able to find recommendations and resources. However, sometimes students parents couldn't even take them
to appointments or pay for them. I would have to communicate with coaches and athletic directors to try to get them to see someone and if all failed then take the precautions and limit activity depending on the severity of the injury until the student was stable enough to return or parent consented to a staff member taking them. It was definitely A-Team effort and lots of communication between my manager, coaches and
directors. That's hard. And I think, again, that's the part that is tough is like, you know, when someone needs to be referred, but how do you do that? And where and who and what are all the details? And you can't 100% learn that no matter how many rotations you go through, because each place is going to have their own specifics. So those are the kind of things that it's like, is anyone really prepared? You can. You can be prepared for what you've done before, even like
going from one job to another. You have an idea of what you did in the past. Yeah, yeah, for sure. There's always going to be a learning curve, and I think it's hard because as a new certified, like you have a learning curve of the job itself that anyone would have, and then on top of that, the learning curve of being on your own.
Yeah, yeah, for sure. You want to read this one from Francesca. Yes, Francesca P says well considering my first day as a certified AT out on the field consisted of taking a rectal temp again, welcome to the profession. I think I was pretty prepared but also not. We got through it. Thinking back, This is why I'm probably so passionate about emergency action plans and EAP readiness. Luckily it wasn't heat stroke but just heat exhaustion.
Temperature was 100.2. We ended up pouring a cooler of water anyway, but had it been exertional heat stroke we would have had we we wouldn't have had enough water or ice for proper cooling. If I could go back and change anything, I would not have changed anything, but we should should have been more prepared. We were practicing off campus due to construction that I wasn't made aware of until a
couple of days prior. We could have had better planning for cooling, but one, it was my first job and two, being new to the school in general could have had better planning for cooling. I think what comes to mind after I read the story is I love that she says that if she would go back, like she wouldn't change anything because you have to remember, and this is the hardest thing to remember at the time that you are making decisions.
You only have so much information and you are taking all of the information that you have to make a decision. If someone needs a rectal temp and it is not a heat stroke, then you're going to treat it like it's not a heat stroke, right? There were so many times that I would go over and over and over in my head because I've spine boarded a bunch of times. Let's say the the latest one.
I was like, I'm an I'm now not a new, not a new new certified AT like this person did not have a neck fracture, A vertebrae fracture. Why did I spine board this person? And I just didn't understand for a long time. It was really hard for me, even though everyone was telling me I had made the right decision. Like it was really hard for me to accept that because to me it felt like, well, it was like they didn't have a fracture.
So like it was fine. But in reality, they had all of the reasons that we have to spine board. So therefore you have to take the precautions. Oh, for. Sure. Because what if it wasn't? Yeah, I mean, you don't. Again, the tough part is you don't have X-ray vision. Because you don't know, Yeah, the things that are in front of you are telling you something for a reason. Yeah. So you have to take into consideration what you have and not hindsight is 2020.
You don't have that at the time you're making a decision for sure. Yeah, absolutely. You want to read this one from LEG? Yes, Ellie says. I did a clinical rotation at the Community College I work at now, so I get to continue working and learning with my mentors every day. I felt like a certified pretty quickly as a student. They prepped me really well by encouraging me to go as far as I could by myself before my then preceptor stepped in when
needed. Example, thinking of rehab plans, going through evals, game setup, etcetera. And I felt really comfortable doing that towards the end of my rotation there. I think the main thing I had to learn once certified was communication with coaches and more of the admin side of the job. Again, yes. Kind of like what you were
saying. And I feel like any admin side of the job is hard, especially like there's there are some programs that do some rotations with athletic trainers when the athletic trainers just sit on the computers and do a lot of paperwork, lots of paperwork. And I've had a couple students who have been involved with that, which has been really good. I've also had some students who haven't gotten any of that experience with me.
And like I'm the same person like that, maybe even the in the same rotation just depending like on schedules or depending on when they start or you know, what we have going on for the day. So you just never know what kind of experiences you're going to get. But I feel like the IT really does depend on how much you are able to spend with like someone who's doing that as a student and even like every preceptor and every athletic trainer is
going to be doing admin stuff. But as a student, it would be really awesome if you could ask to be a part of that, even if you're like sitting there while they're sitting on the computer because obviously they have to do stuff, but maybe they can. It's going to slow the preceptor down a little bit, but it's worth it if like, hey, like what kind of emails are you sending
or like who are you contacting? Or like what are the behind the scenes of, of setting up for emergency action Day or, or what kinds of things do you have to plan to get our mass physicals on campus? Or how did you come up with your health screening? Or like, there's so many like different little tiny admin tests that you don't really think about until you have to do them. Yeah. Yeah, not wrong. Even just collecting eligibility paperwork.
Exactly. Or like what questions to ask when someone turns in a physical? Yes or yeah. Like going through the history like, like the biggest things I tell students is like, look at your medical history like. Don't just take it and be like, oh, it's signed, sounds good. Yeah, like look at what they're saying yes to. Or if you get someone who's like all knows, like I like to give them the so you are perfectly
healthy, never been injured. And sometimes they'll be like, Oh well, there was this one time I'm like, that would be an injury or my favorite. Actually, this one happened just this week. I had medical history, all knows and said, so you are perfectly healthy, never been injured. And he's like, he was like, yeah, I'm like, all right, cool man, let's keep it going. And then looked at the physical and it said something on muscoskeletal about ankle sprain
last year. And I'm like, dog ankle sprain. He's like, Oh yeah, I had that. That would be an injury. He's like, oh, like, yeah, He's like, well, it wasn't. That was like something different. I'm like, no, you could have put that. Yeah. Also, if you don't have like that, like these experiences as a student, like not the end of the world because you still have a whole career in front of you. You have a whole 30 plus years to have countless stories.
And if you encounter something that you have never seen before, which is bound to happen no matter where you are in your career, that's what mentors are for. Yeah, for sure. I did ask on our Instagram stories did you have a mentor or someone you called slash texted about how to handle AT work related stuff when you first got certified and 71% of people said yes. I love my mentors. Yes. 71 I I knew that it was
going to be high. I don't think I realized like how high I also put in an option for. I wanted to, but I didn't know who to reach out to. And we actually got 28%. Like that's a big chunk, like 1/3 of people who responded. And this is like a couple 100 responses. Wanted to reach out to a mentor but didn't know who to reach out to. That is really powerful. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Well, First off, I just want to take this opportunity to say you can always reach out to us. Sometimes we don't get to messages like right away, right away, especially if we're getting ready to put a story episode out. But within a couple days at least if I see that if it's a question, we usually open it like pretty right away as much as possible, but you can always reach out.
We'll always put our two cents. Yes, also putting this out there, one of our one of our awesome listeners, Alex, he messaged us and was talking about like a mentorship like idea. And we're just wondering if that is something and especially the people listening to this transitioning student to certified, if that's something that you guys are interested in. It doesn't have to be like a one-on-one. I've kind of been workshopping some things in my my head haven't really figured it out.
So if you have some ideas, you want to be a part of this, let us know because obviously we can be a great resource, but we're not the only resource at all. So we want to, we want to like open this up and and make the the whole thing about AT corner is it's a community. That's always been our goal. So let us know if that's something you guys are interested in, especially because there's such a big chunk of people who just didn't know who to reach out to. That's just like. That's hard.
Yeah, that's a that's a tough place to be. I also just want to share this last number. Just only 1% of people said no. I didn't feel like I needed to reach out to to a mentor. Interesting which I I put that option on there like knowing that there were going to be some people but. 1% the one percenters. Those are the those are the confident people. Very confident. The very the the extreme, the extreme. Please tell me your ways. I don't I don't know what you guys do even like my mentors
have mentors. So don't feel like having a mentor is a weakness. And also like if you're on the other extreme, like kudos to you. That's awesome. You want to read this one from Marissa. Yes, Marissa says. I had amazing preceptors, so I had a few people I could text slash call. My last preceptor was great at having me take the lead and do evaluations first and come up with a plan. Then he would step in and evaluate and build off what I thought or tell me where I went
wrong. So I was pretty used to working through things on my own. The only thing I felt unprepared for was deciding when to activate EMS. Evaluating spinal and internal injuries. Especially since you don't know until you see one for real. Practicing, learning to listen to my gut and getting more familiar with different red flags helped a lot.
I'm alone the majority of the time so when I have a doc or another AT with me, I pay close attention to what they're saying and checking and I was not at all comfortable communicating with parents. Still working on that one actually and I'm just finishing year 4. It feels like forever, but still a baby.
AT honestly, it does. And you know, and that's what I tell tell students too, like that they kind of look at us like, you know, having answers and like I definitely have more answers than I did when I first started. But like, I mean, this is what you're like 8, You're 8 for me. And it's like, I'm still learning. I'm still learning. What better ways can we do things and stuff like that? So it's always, again, that's why it's called a practice, right?
You practice as an athletic Turner Every. We're always learning. We're always trying to get better, no matter what year it is. Year Year 9. Well, I've completed eight years, so this is like 8 years in change got. You the NATA defines a new professional or like a young professional until year 12 of your practice. Yeah, like until year 12, like that feels like so. And that's double what I've been practicing. Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's true, yeah.
You're still considered young professional. And you guys have heard like a ton of our stories, like you've seen how much we've gone through and we are still little itty babies. Was this a baby? We're just a baby. Courtney P says they tell you in school to act confident and go look it up later, which is crap. Use your Co workers and mentors when you're young. Don't pretend like you know everything. Ask questions and get better. Sure.
I think, I think it's OK to just say like, look, I don't know, right? Like now it's not like look lost and be like, I don't know. No, it's like, I don't know, I'm thinking maybe this or this. But here like I think having a reason why you don't know and having some ideas what you think
it might be are still important. Honestly, sometimes when I don't know things, I start to explain it to the athlete like, hey, you know, I'm seeing this and this usually can like if I'm thinking it's this injury, it'd be more consistent with like this and this and like as I'm saying it, then it helps me like think. Yeah, for sure. And then it makes me realize like, oh, wait, I didn't check this.
Let me check this. And then they're involved in the process or like even the coach can be involved in the process or like whatever, whatever the deal is. And again, we're going back to the environment again, even like my Co workers, we are all Co heads. Like we're all equivalent and we all utilize each other so well. Like sometimes I will be like, I think I just need to get second eyes on this. Like like hold on right here. Like I just want someone else to feel your knee.
Or my Co workers will also say like, hey, can you like go listen to these lungs or can you go look at the shoulder for me? Can you get a second eye on this? Because we all use each other equally and ask each other questions even though like my Co workers are have 20 years of certification beyond what I have and 20 years more experience than what I have. But we all have something to bring to the table. And I think even as a new certified you have something to bring to the table.
So don't feel like you asking for help is a sign of weakness because in different ways the people who you were asking for help are going to ask you not maybe not even in the form of a question, but in the same way that you're asking them. But it it is a given, a given, like a give and take for sure. Alberto H says. I lean on Brad McReynolds, Scott Barker, Pam Gibbons and Tamara Poole.
All have helped me in different ways such as what kind slash type of ATI want to be. In a nutshell, I want people to have a good experience and someone who they can count on. Scott taught me how to utilize my resources and educate myself because there's so many things we don't know or how they could be managed. Pam taught me how to be stern and well organized. I lean on her for admin stuff. Tamara is currently teaching me old school tricks that aren't
taught in schools. Very rehab based, crazy taking, taping techniques, manual therapy techniques, etcetera. But also how to have someone buy in. I'm just blessed to have someone who are willing to to teach me. I also learned a lot about per diem work from Alicia Pennington AT Vantage Courses and NATA resources. Some tips for per diem that he's passing on.
Learn about taxes, get liability insurance, create slash attain Eaps, have a documentation system which includes scat 6, take home sheet for concussions, etcetera. Ask what is being supplied, have a contract in place, create allies such as get a physician, standing orders and attain director contact info. Yeah, Per diem's the Wild West, man. It really is What I like about this is how you don't, you don't have to just like pick one person and like rely on them for everything.
Yeah, like even your cohort, you can utilize their different experiences to see if anyone has like seen someone with like this or seen someone with whatever. For example, like for some reason this year we are seeing so many cartilage tears in the knee. So like, who are we going to reach out to so that we can like, maybe I've never seen that in my career, but suddenly I have four of them. So like, what am I going to do? You don't have to like Randy. Have you ever had a cartilage chair?
Seen someone with a cartilage chair? Not like at one, definitely not at the rate that you have. I mean, I've had maybe one or two, but like it's and that's after all my years so far. And this is like Randy is I go
to him for everything. So like, maybe if he hasn't seen that, like I'm going to find someone else who has seen that, or maybe I'll go to my team dock or there's so many different things that people have strengths and weaknesses or different experiences on. And it's just about like finding and like fine tuning who you can ask and what you can ask and and how you can utilize the people around you.
So going back to this per diem, I also did ask in a poll if people worked per diem when they first got certified and 62% of people said yes, they did work per diem and about 38% of people said no. Yeah, I did a little bit when I first started, when I first got certified. I feel like per diem is got. To start somewhere. So high in liability, especially for a new grad. I did a ton of per diem work when I when I first started and I would yes I would recommend it because it makes you ready for
anything. Oh. Yes, but I think you also it you have to take on different challenges that you wouldn't necessarily that maybe someone else in a full time job that is not doing per diem, yeah, wouldn't have to take on. So we just had to take it with a grain of salt. Yeah, we do have an episode on how to prepare for per diem. It was a long time ago. I don't remember which episode it was, so we should probably update that sometime. Oh yeah, that was a long time
ago, I think. I think I vaguely kind of remember it. Probably back when I was doing more per diem. What primary setting were you in your first time on your own as an athletic trainer? College. I was performing arts 1st and then I I like ride out of school and then I went to high school in the fall. So like summer I was performing arts and then high school in the fall. High school was actually our biggest group at 45%, followed
closely by college at 41%. Per diem and emerging setting slash other were both tied around 8 and 7% respectively. So with if, with this, I feel like I hear so many times the students, they don't want to be at a high school, they don't want to be at high school, they don't want to be at high school, but 45% of them on our pole ended up at a high school.
That's interesting because I feel like more and more I have had more students actually say, oh, either high school or Community College. That's really interesting. Yeah, I've actually had some like say, like, oh, I want to do like high school or like someone feel like, oh, Community College. And I'm like, I mean, that's
cool. That's awesome. Like I think there needs to be more people, especially in both those settings that like want to be there that actually that not like, oh, I'm settling for this, right. So yeah, that's interesting. I think you can learn so much at the high school, especially when you're new. Yeah, for sure. And the hours are nice. Yeah. And you don't have to work weekends. Yeah, travel's pretty minimal. Right. So there's like a, there's a lot
of pros for the high school. There's also a lot of subjective and personal cons. So I think it obviously depends. I also think if you work at the high school, I think people are also scared of getting stuck at the high school and they're like, I'm not going to be able to get out of it, which I mean can be a concern. There are plenty of people who also spend their time getting experience at, at the high school and then decide that they want to change settings.
And people change settings all the time. Like it's not impossible. Also, just one, we, we talk about this all the time, but like 1 spot to another spot could be completely different. So even if you're at 1 high school and you really don't like it, you could go to another high school and really love it. So it's not just, you can't just put the setting in like a box and say that's that's what the setting is. For sure.
I think that's important that that's, yeah, any jobs like that, there's just just not great places to work. And then there's. Great places to work, right? Did you get the job or setting you wanted when you first got certified? It's a It's a hard question. I feel like you got you were like GA so like let's say after your GA. See, again, that's an interesting question because like, initially, yeah, like, do you want track? Hell yeah. But then like it ended up not not being the job.
So you're in the same boat as 13% of people said yes, but they end up not liking it. I was very surprised that the bulk of our answer said yes, they did get the job or setting that they wanted and they still liked it after they got it. 61% of people, that's great, I really AM. I don't know how much I'm swayed by this, but I am still in the boat that you're probably not going to get the job that you want when you first graduate. Yeah, I think that's a safe
expectation. So you don't feel like, oh, no, what am I doing? All right. I think it gives people hope that like, OK, hey, like, just because this place didn't work out doesn't mean like every place is like this and athletic. This is just athletic training. Because, you know, that's definitely not true.
You know, like, true. I feel like, again, this seems to get brought up and I feel like one of our colleagues bringing this up, one of our good friends and like on here I was just, I never saw myself at a Community College and now look at me. Oh yeah, never. Community College AT. You can even go back in our old episodes and yeah, and Randy says I will always be an NCAA four year athletic trainer. Look at me now to your baby. And not leaving. Not leaving.
One of my mentors, Pam, said you will not get the job that you want until you're five years certified. Oh, interesting, interesting. And that rang true. That rang true. I I think obviously I liked jobs along the way, but it wasn't like until I had enough experience for people to not maybe this is the wrong for people to take me seriously, is what I want to say. But like, for me to be competitive enough to fight for the job that I actually really want, Yeah, maybe that maybe
that's a better way to put. It like that. Also, I have to bring this up, you also are going to change as a person and change as a clinician throughout your especially like exponentially through your first few years. For example, like when I was at the high school, well, first of all, I didn't want to be at the high school. I absolutely loved the high school, like absolutely loved my
time. I was, I was part time, but I was in in works with the principal and the like admin of the school to get it full time and before we moved. And it was something that like I thought it was going to be, I was like, there's no way I was ever going to be in high school. And suddenly like I'm vouching for a full time job for me here. And I just really, really learned so much from that experience and I could never do it again.
Like I found the place that you like, yes, but the person that I was when I was first certified versus the person who I am now. And even though like, I was working football back then and I'm working football now, like. Yeah, but. That was I could not do what I did when I was first certified. Yeah, it was crazy. It was. It was. Wild. It was crazy. Your first year was wild. I don't know how I handled it, but here I am six years later going into my 7th year. Being a kick ass AT.
And I just don't know how I like if I had another season like my first season. I just don't know how it how it would go. Yeah. And here I am, like still in the profession. Here you are. I hope that I hope that's helpful for you. Guys, I think that is helpful. When you first became a certified AT, was it everything you expected to be? Somewhat. That's what 66% of people said. Somewhat yes was 25%.
No, was actually 9%. I feel like somewhat because like I feel like dude being certified, it's really dope. Like it's, it's pretty cool. It is for the most. Part like it I feel. Like I would never want to be a student again. Oh God no. I don't know anyone who would want to be a student again. You guys, the hard part's over. Yeah, yeah, Honestly, being certified is pretty cool. You get all the cool shit.
Yeah, I know when coaches, like, get you lunch instead of like, like when you have to like, hide it from the students that like, you got lunch. Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. Like sorry guys, there's perks, you get gear. Yeah, that's always fun. Yeah. I, I, I definitely think probably looking the somewhat comes from, I think there were still things that exceeded my expectations. I think there were things that I was happily surprised with.
Oh, that's good. Yeah. I don't really know how to answer this question. So like when I asked it, I guess I didn't really think of the other side. But this anonymous one says honestly what surprised me a hole coaches also St. is. Well, it's crazy. I don't get a lot of those. At least my office don't tell me. I've had, I've had some, I've had some football players tell me which I was. I was very honored that they
trusted me enough. I was like, I'm surprised that I've never, that I've ever had to deal with this, that they feel comfortable at coming to me. I think knowing I've had two, that that that I've known about. I literally called, I called you, I called some of my mentors and I called my team doc and I was like, what do I do?
You know what? It's funny that you say that about like, oh, them like, I'm glad they were feeling comfortable to tell me. I feel like that, like, with my, like, female athletes, like I used to have one that would update me when it was her period or where she was at in her cycle. Yeah. She's like, hey, just letting you know, I'm like, thank you. You're like, OK, well the research says that you are more likely to tear your ACL today, so.
Yes. So I appreciate that I was able to create a safe enough space that she kept me updated. So, Anonymous continues, I had an athlete get one and it was rippling effect into other players getting them. I protected the athlete from missing practices because the coach was freaking out that she was missing. I think I lied and said she was sick sick and confirmed that she did go to the doctor's cause coach thought she was lying.
That athlete and the other athletes that contracted all went to the Health Center and got their meds. Honestly it's one thing I hope never happens again because it's uncomfortable having talks about sex and protection like that. I felt like I was the parent telling their kids the talk. I mean, these these kids are just kids and. We talk about like athletic training, being babysitting, like so. You're parenting. You're parenting plus. Right, right.
Because yes, there are very multiple times that I've had to tell, tell my athletes, don't do that. What are you doing? Put that down. We we look, don't touch. That's a good one, yeah. Do you want to read our final story of this episode? Yes. So this one's by Kristen. Oh. My transition from student to professional was very seamless for me, but I owe much of that to my preceptors and experience during my clinical rotations.
I was meticulous in choosing areas that would challenge me and make me grow, as well as areas that would introduce me to things you don't normally get first hand experience with
during clinical rotations. For example, I spent time in a clinic so I could see what outreach and PRN work look like, build my own evaluation routine and have daily practice with it, observe surgeries, understand more about insurance, work one-on-one with doctors and other healthcare professionals, and experience a more diverse patient population.
I also chose a professional rugby team so that I could work with a strength and conditioning coach, have experience in a high level, fast-paced environment with high velocity injuries, as well as see more of how workmen's comp scheduling, imaging and follow up visits and the overall administration slash
paperwork side of things work. Having those experiences, as well as building a foundation of honest communication, continuous feedback, and trust with my preceptors allowed me the opportunities to learn hands on the confidence to be willing to make mistakes and learn from them and ask the hard questions. Without the help from my preceptors, I would not have grown my confidence in my evaluation and diagnosis skills, clinical judgement, critical thinking, and every other aspect
of athletic training. Moreover, having those experiences as a student helped build a relationship with my preceptors that has allowed me to continue communication and have mentors in many areas of practice for when I do find myself an obstacle professionally. I also want to add to this because she's talking mostly about experiences as a student, these experiences can still be translated. Like if, if you're like listening to this and you're like, man, I didn't get those
experiences. Like I'm not ready. That's what your first jobs are for. So you can get more experience and just be ready for whatever is down the road. Yeah, for sure. So even if you don't get the job that you wanted, for example, all of those things translate to some other area. Even my performing arts jobs translate. There are still some things I do over there that I did over there that translate to the things that I do today.
And a lot of it actually, because it's not the normal route that people go. I'm seeing a lot different things that other athletic trainers have no experience with. So like I can bring in my experiences from another setting. And so even if you think like this isn't going to help me, that this is not what I wanted, it will in ways that you don't expect. Yeah, for sure.
Another tidbit that we're going to leave with you from Chris and O Going into your first job can be scary, but having a support system in your personal and professional life to help increase your confidence makes it much less scary. You don't have to know everything, but the hard part is over. You passed your board exam, you landed a job. Now it's time for you to enjoy the fun part. Yep, exactly.
It is pretty, yes. When you first when you're first out, it seems more stressful and hard than it is fun. But it one, it does get easier and then two, it's pretty fun. It does get easier. There are some hard days, but like there are hard days in freaking everything. Any job I feel I like to think there are a lot more fun days than there are hard days. Yeah, even though we both had hard days today, but it's OK. Yeah, it's OK. It is What it. Is look, we're still laughing.
Yeah, still having a blast. Later we are going to do an episode on how to build confidence because we did got a lot of submissions about that. So I'm working on putting together that. A peek at some of our next couple of episodes will be about personalities and the Enneagram and how that relates to athletic training. That will actually be ACU episode, which we do provide. If you're newly certified and you need to do C us now, don't forget about our podcast. We do have several free C us
that you can complete. We have category AC us through clinically pressed and athletic training chat, and you can find them through just scrolling through our podcast wherever you're listening to this on YouTube, on Spotify wherever, or you can go to our website or Instagram and find those C us. We also have Medbridge, which is a really cool subscription, like on demand subscription for C us for athletic trainers and other healthcare professionals. But you get it for a year.
So if you want a code for $101.00 off that, you can use code 80 corner. And then if you guys are new to our podcast, we do several different types of episodes. This is a story episode where we gather so many stories from athletic trainers all over the world. We also bring in different people to bring in for interview episodes. And then lastly, Randy usually heads our CU episodes where he takes a bunch of research articles, reads them, digests them.
Like literally we're talking like 20 or something per episode and we turn them into Cus and we turn them into a conversational format. So we kind of do the back end work for you and Randy does all the reading and research so you don't have to. You just get to listen and understand. There we go. Is there anything else you want to add or impart on them? No, thank you for helping us showcase athlete training behind the tape. Bye.