Early Professionals AT Community

For those of us fresh out of school, this first fall season feels like trial by fire. Between two-a-days, nonstop practices/games, and trying to keep up with documentation, it can be hard to keep up!

For other early professional ATs – how are you surviving your first fall?

• What's been the toughest adjustment so far?

• Any hacks for keeping your energy up or staying organized during crazy weeks?

• Have you found ways to carve out any personal time, or is that wishful thinking?

• What's one thing you wish someone had told you before fall started?

Figured it'd be good to start a thread where we can share wins, struggles, and maybe some survival tips.

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Colby Tegt
Ferndale High School
colbytegt@gmail.com
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Hey Colby! Not in my first year out, but as an early professional I related to the adjustment to full-time work after school and the craziness of preseason.

I try to streamline as many things as possible to conserve energy -- meal prep so I'm only cooking and washing dishes once a week, using Siri reminders to make sure I'm taking care of the things I tell myself I'll do later, time blocking time to do documentation so I can get into a flow state and focus on it.

For me, carving out personal time is essential to functioning at my best. For me this looks like waking up early to get in a workout or spend some time reading my bible and going to bed as early as possible to maximize my sleep.

In my first year, and every year since, I always need to remind myself that the best way to stay on top of documentation is to prioritize time for it daily. As soon as I put it off I find myself putting it off forever.

Hope this helps and would love to know what things you implement and what works best for you!

Emma Stratmoen

EPC Chair

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Emma Stratmoen MAT, LAT, ATC
USA Volleyball
Stillwater MN
(651) 491-5246
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Hi Colby! I'm a few months into my second year certified, and though we're towards the 'end' of fall I think this can still be applicable, especially in transition seasons when everything is happening at once.

-I've found that I MUST meal prep on a 'slower' day if I want to eat semi-well for that week. But, it's also helpful to keep some quick/easy food if I'm tired/don't want what I've made.

-For documentation, I try to write brief notes in the moment on a sticky note, so even if I can't upload to an EMR immediately, I'll still remember the details later on. 

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Lea Moose MAT, LAT, ATC
Helena Orthopaedic Clinic
Helena MT
(913) 777-1369
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