The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Meeting — St. Louis 2015

Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch is the signature structure of the St. Louis skyline

They love their Cardinals in St. Louis

I’m honored to have been asked by the folks at NATA to give a talk at their annual gathering, which is taking place right now in St. Louis.

The subject of my talk is how one can use modern technology to stay abreast of the medical literature.  The punch line is:  get on social media, if you’re not there already.

From eTOCs to Twitter, podcasts to blogs, who to follow and when to mute:  I’ll be covering that while I speak here at #NATA2015.

I continue to be amazed at times just how functional social media can be, how important it is for me professionally.  I’m ‘in the know’ when it comes to CJSM, since I’m on the Editorial Board.  But for breaking news from other journals?  Nothing beats social media. Just yesterday I learned on Twitter of a  new meta-analysis of the benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for improving health-related physical fitness in adolescents from our friends at BJSM.  Twitter!

@GSwish — just one of the many fabulous ATCs with whom I work @NCHSportsMed

Reflecting on this meeting, I find it hard to imagine working in this profession of sports medicine without the team play of the certified athletic trainers (ATCs) with whom I collaborate in the clinic and on the sidelines.  ATCs are on the front line when caring for athletes, at least here in the United States.  Almost every significant injury prevention strategem — ranging from identification and early treatment of exertional heat illness, to removing concussed athletes from the field of play — turn on the education, and application of that knowledge, by this amazing group of professionals.

Beyond that, the research these folks do is truly impressive.  Some names of authors who are well known to the readers of CJSM — Kevin Guskiewicz, Tracey Covassin, Jason Mihalik, Johna Register-Mihalik — are all ATCs, and all here in St. Louis.

So I’m getting ready to listen to some great talks given by those folks as well as other invited guests, including the epidemiologist Dawn Comstock and the NCAA Medical Director Brian Hainline.  And I’m getting ready to share what I have heard.  Follow us on Twitter @cjsmonline for some of the breaking news from #NATA2015 !