Rotation II -

My second rotation was with a local hospital, and I also alternated days at Nacogdoches High School.  The schedule went Monday & Thursday at the Doctors' office and Tuesday & Friday at Nacogodoches High School.  This rotation seemed like it would be draining, but I do not know why I initially thought that way.  It turned out to be a very fascinating experience, especially at the Doctors' office, even though I mainly dealt with the older population; folks I will likely never interact with unless I am in a clinical setting.  The other site in my clinical experience, Nacogdoches High, was just that - Nacogdoches High, but it was fun to see more sports other than football.  Currently they have a pretty good boys and girls soccer team, baseball is getting started, and basketball is ending, although they made the playoffs with just three wins. Okay, maybe five wins.  The most exciting part about Nac High was watching Soccer, which is one of the few sports I do not understand.  I got the opportunity to learn more about the sport, and even helped with the rehab of one of the best overall players on the team.  Both soccer games I watched were shutouts.  Other than the boys basketball losing a heartbreaker by one point during my first week, I was good luck!

Meanwhile at the Doctors' office, I mainly followed around his Physician Assistant.  The environment here is good for the purpose of learning because you can observe real-life examinations with patients who have an array of medical conditions, as opposed to athletes who often only have one or two things going on.  The Physician Assistant, who is a graduate from the same program I am currently in, no longer practices Athletic Training, but had a lot of advice to offer.  We talked about the many environments that Athletic Trainers are employed, and the dis/advantages that come.  We talked about how is athletic background helped with certain patients and even figuring out certain conditions.  I got to see everything from amputated fingers, radial fractures in 5 yr olds riding horses, a cyst being aspirated, torn rotator cuff tendons from drunk women falling during a mardi gras party, and a rare case of ulnar neuritis, which I will most likely do my Upper Evaluation courses' case study on.  My favorite moment came when I was referred to as, a colored person by a 94 year-old woman with a case of gout, who asked the doctor why it was more prevalent in African Americans (wow)!  I was not offended, seeing the womans age and where she was most likely raised.  Live and learn, go figure.  Pretty much this was a productive rotation.  The time went by fairly quick, and I feel I got a lot out of it.   

New pieces!!!

My Obama board with the rasta color scheme! Oh boy, boy! And the board on the left is a map of the Muni system in San Fran. That's just the underground Muni, not the entire bus grid- it wouldn't fit all on one board (Shouts to N Judah Chronicles blog)! As you all know I live in residence halls, so I hung both boards using a wire hanger (Thanks, Ben) and 3M Command removable hooks. If you look closely, the Obama board has holes where the hanger pokes, and I managed to do the SF board without punching holes in it.  I didn't mind the holes at first, but man now I wish I hadn't done that. Enjoy!   

Rotation 1 - Men's Basketball

My first clinical experience for spring 2009 was Men's Basketball (MBB).  Having this as my first rotation could not have been better!  The Athletic Trainer in charge of basketball is Troyce Solley.  The Level II is Dustin.  I find it hard to believe there is a better clinical experience.  This rotation fills a void that can't be replaced, especially for the things I look for the most in quality experiences...

1. Educational opportunity - Stop for a second and think!  In this type of environment, the only reason you do these things is to hopefully learn!  Now, I am a patient man, but I personally do not see the point in doing meaningless things if there is no opportunity for growth.  With that in thought, MBB was the ideal rotation because Troyce does an excellent job of combining just the right amount of instruction and involvement.  He sets reasonable expectations and grants you just enough freedom that you do not feel confined to any strict set of rules.   Although there are not many injuries that occur in basketball compared to the various contact sports, there were still plenty of chances to check for learning.  I had the pleasure of sitting through explanations and demonstrations about special topics like pain tolerance, and hear views on what sets apart one particular player from another.

2. Involvement - I never once felt alone during this clinical experience.  Troyce and Dustin both managed to find time to make sure I knew what was going on.  I think this may just be a by-product of their personalities, but if it isn't, they did an excellent job of not dumbing-down any aspect of treatments, practice/game setup, rehab, or anything related to daily operations.

3. Teachable Moments - Although there were no new major injuries, the ongoing treatments of old injuries were just as good to be a source of learning.  I feel there was not ever a moment where I did not know what was being done in terms of treatment, updates and changes in treatments, player conditions, and introductions to new methods being tried.

4. Environment - The coaches and players on the team truly respect what the athletic trainers do, and are grateful for the service they provide.  The players say "please" and "thank you," and they also fulfill their responsibilities of informing the staff of their progress during rehab or post-injury.  From my observation, I think this is a derivation of Troyce and Dustin treating and speaking to the players like adults, and not talking them down.  The respect definitely shows.

This clinical experience is definitely a quality experience.  MBB ranks #2 on my list of best clinical rotations so far.  It will be tough to beat.  And not to mention, the team went 3-0 with my presence.