My path to becoming an athletic trainer was a story of overcoming obstacles and striving to make my dreams into reality. While my hard work earned me the ATC credential behind my name and I enjoyed my time providing care as an athletic trainer, there was no intentional direction for my future. COVID-19 shutdowns gave me the time to reflect on the next chapter of my AT story. I knew I wanted to make a difference as a leader in the field of sports medicine. Knowing I enjoy working as a clinician, I wanted a doctoral degree that allowed me to advance my clinical reasoning skills and integrate evidence-based approaches into my practice.

I chose the Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program at A.T. Still University (ATSU) because they offered a curriculum with specialty areas in orthopaedics and rehabilitation, while developing applied research knowledge and clinical decision-making skills. These areas aligned with my professional interests and development goals. Additionally, the highly proven faculty worked with me to gain the confidence to critically think about my approaches to daily clinical practice and improve patient care outcomes. I saw the Applied Research Project (ARP) as a perfect opportunity to integrate my coursework into my clinical setting to solve real-life problems. By obtaining a DAT degree, I hope to advance my status as a leader in the athletic healthcare community and progress the athletic training profession forward. I intend to get involved in research opportunities that will apply and influence athletic training. The knowledge and experience I gained through my ARP will springboard me to better advocate for the use of data in athletic training to measure progress and demonstrate outcomes. It will be uncomfortable to change where athletic training is today, but we must be creative and implement innovative ways to improve the profession. We have a duty to our patients to provide the best care possible by challenging our practice and growing as clinicians. Lastly, attaining my DAT degree has built a foundation for lifelong learning to advance my abilities as an athletic training clinician, educator, and researcher.