It is officially the end of week 4 of Tri 1 at Parker University for me. The start of week 3 was the introduction to all the clubs that the school offers. I have already been to a few when I was in the Pre-DC program but I wanted to check out more of the clubs that were on Campus. There were clubs ranging from R2P (recovery to performance) to Motion palpation to Animal Chiropractic and Neurology. To be honest there were so

many clubs that I was interested in it was hard for me to decide which ones I wanted to go to on which days. Most of the clubs meet during lunch (12pm - 1pm) which makes it easier to fit into my schedule. The problem with that is some clubs are one day a week. This means that I would miss certain days of a club. For example, I was really excited about the Neurology club on Tuesdays but then I would out that a Sports chiropractic club called ACA was

also only on Tuesdays. So of course I had to do the mental pros and cons list in my head on which club I wanted to go to. I did learn how to tap an ankle in ACA but later I heard that Neurology went over concussions but not just your typical "Hey are you okay?" and "What year is it protocol?". I know I am just a Tri one right now and looking at the different clubs is what Tri one is for but I can't help but think if I miss one thing in one of the clubs I could have gone to I would have learned something that might help me later. But again, I try to quiet down my loud anxious voice in my head and stay present during each club.
Even though I debate back and forth in my head a lot about which club to go to I have enjoyed each one. R2P has been one of my favorites, just because I have always been interested in sports rehab but every time I go I always learn something new. I did go to R2P while I was in the Pre-DC program so I already knew some of the concepts that they were going to bring up but even though the concepts are repetitive I feel like I understand a little bit more each time. This even happened to me for Motion Palpation. When I was going to Motion Palpation during the Pre-DC program I had NO idea what I was feeling, what I was doing, and really what the purpose of feeling the joint was for. Now that I am in DAA (Development and Applied Anatomy) and getting a deep dive in anatomy I can see in my head what the bone looks like and what I should be feeling. Also with practice, I find that my technique is improving (of course...duhh it's like

anything you do 😝 ). When you palpate you are feeling for the fluidity of the joint and any irregularities that will help you determine the best treatment plan for you patient. When I first started palpating I thought I was just supposed to press on the joint and do a back-and-forth jiggle but there is so much more to it 😂 . You will press/feel for the joint but then you will stretch the joint and/or muscle to it's end range of motion (not sure which one yet...still learning 😜 ). Once you reach end range of motion you press a litttttttle further to figure out the fluidity of that joint. Again, it is just another assessment to have a better understanding on how your patient is feeling and moving.
Not only am I learning a ton in clubs....and some of it is definitely going over my head 😅 but it is also a great time to meet upper Tri's. Not gonna lie I was supppper intimidated by the upper Tri students. They all seem super smart and like they know what they are doing and I seem like a deer in the headlights. The great part is they know exactly how you are feeling. And the best part about being a Tri One student is you get a bit more of an excuse to mess up/seem stupid. But even then the environment in all the clubs I have been to is open to mistakes. This is something I am still learning to do myself realize it is okay to make mistakes because that is how you learn and grow. As long as you understand why you did what you did was a mistake that's all that really matters. But if you make a mistake and just sit there with your hands tied behind your back...well you didn't really learn anything. But in all the clubs I have been to the Reps are great at explaining how to do perform certain movements and/or why a certain treatment could be done a certain way. It almost gives me older sibling, little sibling vibes...kinda. I will say meeting the upper Tri's also helps because not only are you learning from them they can also give you some comfort on what the upper Trimesters are like and what you should and should not really be spending sooo much time on. Plus when you are in a club you are surrounded by people who are not only interested in the same topics as you but you are as a part of the people who really want to become the best chiropractors. And to be honest, Tri One is filled with classes that is just about learning textbook things. No hands-on stuff. I understand that it is important to understand the foundations of the body and how it works but adding in club time it reignites that feeling that "This is what I am here for!". Also, it is super exciting to go home and show my family how I can palpate their sacrum or other neurologic tests I can do to understand your nervous system. If you get anything from this blog post just go to a club! Pick one and go! You will be happy that you did.
Clubs I went to in week 3:
Neurology Club - introduction to the brain and general neurological tests
Motion Palpation - introduction and general spinal scan

Clubs I went to in week 4:
R2P - Learned about the Mckenzie method
ACA - Learned how to tap an inverted ankle sprain (make sure your partner does not cut you when you take the tap off 😉 )
Applied Kinesiology - General nervous system scan
Motion Palpation - Review spinal scan and introduced side lying palpation
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