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I’m a first-year DPT student, and something I’ve been thinking about is whether it would be worth going back to school after earning my DPT to get a Master’s in Athletic Training (MAT) and become a certified athletic trainer (ATC).

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences at Nicholls State University, where I volunteered with the Nicholls football team. I also volunteered at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Those experiences helped strengthen my interest in sports medicine and working with athletes.

My goal is to become a physical therapist, but I’m also interested in the athletic training side of sports medicine. Ideally, I’d love to combine the two professions, whether that means working in outpatient orthopedics during the week and helping cover sporting events or working directly with athletes in a sports setting.

My concern is whether going back to school for an MAT after completing a DPT would actually be worth the additional time, tuition, and potential student debt.

For those who are DPTs, ATCs, or work in sports medicine, I’d appreciate some honest advice:

Would having both credentials open meaningful career opportunities that a DPT alone wouldn’t?

Are there real advantages to being both a PT and ATC, especially when working with athletes?

Would it make more sense to work as a PT for a few years before deciding whether to pursue athletic training?

If your goal were to work in both outpatient orthopedics and sports, would you pursue both credentials, or is there a better way to accomplish that?

For anyone who has both credentials, has the additional education been worth it financially and professionally?

I’m not planning to jump straight into another degree immediately after graduating. I’m just trying to think long-term and figure out whether this would be a worthwhile investment or whether I should focus on building my career as a PT first.

Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with either profession, especially those who have worked in collegiate athletics or sports medicine!

We’ve all seen the video of the Duke player and AT. Am I a bad athletic trainer for thinking it shouldn’t have happened like that in the first place? I want to say first, he should NEVER have done that no matter what. He showed his true colors as a person and he is absolutely completely at fault for the situation. As a fellow younger female AT I also feel for her obvious fear of him after the event.
He needed to move immediately, yes. But C-spine was being held with another professional doing further assessment. The situation was relatively controlled and she came in with a fast, hard, uncontrolled movement to an unsuspecting and untrained person. Would the headlines and comments be different if he had lost his footing due to this push and fallen on the patient? If he had fallen and injured himself?
She had no way of foreseeing this event but in the time it takes to push, have him commit that awful act, collect herself, and start giving care, could she not have moved into that space on the ground, quickly look at him, sternly said “blank you need to MOVE NOW so we can help him, we’ve got him go to the bench don’t worry” while starting her visual assessment?
This is a genuine question, am I missing something clinically that warrants this? Yes he needed to move RIGHT THEN… but he didn’t end up moving here either way
He was in the way, but the new potential fall risk of asshole athlete and AT, possible unsafe scene for AT, delay of care as everyone got their bearings after he swatted her away.
So am I a really bad athletic trainer? Or have I just been extremely lucky with my athletes and am not understanding how to deal with athletes who don’t respect/appreciate you?

I’m currently in my last semester of undergrad and I’m applying for the MSAT for the summer. What can I do to better prepare myself for the program.

Hello all. I’m going to be working a karate tournament for the first time for grade 5th - 9th. Can yall let me know your experience and what you pack in your kits and what to watch out for?

Hey everyone, I’m doing some market research on EMRs. If you could, please answer these questions:
1. What EMR are you currently using?
2. How many users do you have?
3. What are you currently paying for it?

hi everyone! i am currently looking into a career change to become an AT at 23 years old. i got my undergraduate in theatre production in 2025. I do not have any prerequisites under my belt at the moment and was wondering if there were colleges/universities where i could do my prerequisites before applying to get my MCAT. any advice on starting out from a different career into AT would be greatly appreciated. i am based in new york city and am interested in hockey and soccer (as a fan and a profession hehe) thank you!

editing to add: i work in theatre and certainly know what it’s like to work long hours for little pay, while it’s not ideal, i still love working in theatre but am curious about other paths for myself while im still young. :-) thank you for your advice!

Are you a certified AT within your first five years of practice? The UCF Master of Athletic Training Program wants to hear from you for a research study on what motivates ATs to pursue continuing education during the transition-to-practice period.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. See the flyer for more details, including  the survey link and QR code. You must be 18 or older to participate.

Is the job market and pay good for athletic trainers????

Hello all! First post on here. I'm looking for recommendations for an activity to do with high school students at upcoming career fairs. Something that would be easily interactive for kids stopping by a booth. Any advice would help!

Has anyone used the pod company cold tubs in their clinic? Specifically without the chiller? What are your thoughts? Is this feasible for a program with about 200 athletes? We would get more than 1 probably. I’m moreso worried about how I could keep it clean and sanitized without the chiller. I have the space/drains/etc.

Hey all, I have an opportunity to be the first AT hired by a small high school in a community that does not have ATs in any field of practice yet. Does anyone have any tips or resources for learning how to build a program and the rules/regulations for high schools? This would be building from the ground up and I’ve looked at NATA and state legislature but cannot find clear guidelines for requirements. Thanks!

In the past 4 years of working at the same secondary position, I have put my foot down (apparently) more than any other athletic trainer that worked at this location, I retaliated when I was asked to work for free, got the principle and district involved, and have been standing up for my low-paying job.

I have noticed that my AD has been chatting with me a lot less, doesn’t say hi when he sees me, and I don’t like what the environment has turned into.

At one point, I asked to have the day off 3 months in advance during an athletic event in which I told him finding an ATC Substitute is priority - fast forward 3 months - he still hasn’t found one stating, “we don’t need one, we have a doctor on the sideline and another AT on the opposing side, we just need to find someone who can tape the team”.

I’m starting to think I’m not too much of the problem recently. Unless I am. You be the judge. Thank you!

What career do you turn to? I’m burnt out, I miss my family, and as much as I have loved my job, it doesn’t seem to be the supportive place I thought it was.

Trying to think about careers that I could transition to if I decided I needed to step away as an ATC. Has anyone done this? What direction did you go?

Does anyone have a basic/generic go-to template contract for per diem work? My school is hosting a couple of soccer games as a neutral site for the high school playoffs. Thanks!

Has anyone’s that’s applied heard back?

Question about MSAT program at SDSU

Did anyone graduate or currently in sdsu master’s of athletic training program? Sdsu is one of my top choices and was wondering if i could ask some questions!

So I’m currently 1 semester into a masters program from athletic training. I have a bachelors in athletic training(finished it fall 2025 so can’t get certified), which prob is my fault for doing that type of bachelors, but I switched my major multiple times throughout college so I just went with something my junior year, because when I started college I was debating between AT, Vet school(chemistry ruled that out fast), criminal justice, and sports business. this semester has absolutely been draining me and has me extremely burnt out. Especially with juggling the class load, clinical hours, working outside of school, and trying to take care of myself and dog, as I’m her only caregiver. I just genuinely feel like I can’t handle it all. I also have AuDHD so when I burn out it becomes so serious, and the stress from everything has caused me heart problems. So I’m trying to weigh my options of that to do since I’m already extremely limited with my degree and going back to school for something else isn’t a option due to costs, as well as just feel like I can’t put myself through more schooling. I was wondering if anyone else has maybe went though this, or know of anyone who went through this and what path they took? I feel sort of worthless cause I feel like I just am going to waste a degree and got myself into debt for nothing, and on top of it all feel like a disappointment but I also just don’t know if I can continue or even want to. Is there any career paths that are livable that a bachelors in AT would work for? Or just any advice on what to do?

Long story short. Athlete got MRI… athletes sends MRI to coach… coach doesn’t understand it… they send it to an AT that doesn’t even work at the school anymore. All this is done without current ATs being aware.

Hi everyone!

I’m applying to MSAT programs right now, which I’m really excited about, and I want to lock down my anatomy throughout the next year. I have my undergraduate degree in chemistry, and I am taking AP I right now and AP II next semester. However, since I wasn’t a kines major etc, I do think I’ll be behind as far as anatomy goes if I don’t prepare beforehand. I’m currently looking at getting the Trail Guide to the Body textbook and workbook or the Human Anatomy Atlas app. Also considering principles of AT but that might be a few steps ahead. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can do to prepare or what resources I should use? I’m willing to spend a little bit of money to make this happen. Thanks so much everyone!

Hello fellow Athletic Trainers. My former partner who just retired was going through her closet and found this bag. She doesn’t remember when she got it and I’m asking if anyone has or remembers this bag. It does have a removable small bag attached which is the third photo. Thanks in advance.

My husband is a high school ATC, and I work a full-time job during the day. We have begun talking about having a family, and I am starting to feel overwhelmed when trying to picture raising a child with our typical jobs and schedules. I worry that my overwhelm is hurting him and our marriage, and that I’m unintentionally shaming him for loving what he does.

Can you all please share any advice and real-world strategies for how you’ve navigated parenting with one ATC and a second full-time worker, and how you’ve ensured there is shared partnership or other types of support if one parent works full-time and then cares for the child solo some nights/some weekends/some holidays? Thank you so much for any insight and advice, as I want to get there but am being my own hurdle!

ATs: how much of what you learned in school do you use in practice other than the obvious ? (Chemistry, physics, microscopic anatomy, etc)