ARTI Athletic Therapist Earns BOC Certification Via the International Arrangement
Christopher Dolan, ATC, CAT began his career by earning his credential through the Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland (ARTI). He began practicing as a clinic-based athletic therapist at Element Health Fitness Performance, a strength and conditioning gym/therapy provider in Dublin, Ireland. He also provided pitch-side care across the greater Dublin area to a wide variety of teams and sports, from high-level soccer to senior-level Gaelic football.
After relocating to the U.S. and earning BOC certification, Dolan now works as an outreach Athletic Trainer (AT) for JAG Physical Therapy. In this role, he travels to various colleges, high schools and events throughout New Jersey to provide athletic training services.
Why did you decide to take the BOC certification exam?
I decided to take the BOC exam so that I could continue to work and expand my athletic training/therapy career while living in the U.S.
What was the BOC exam process and experience like?
The exam credentialing process itself was not as difficult as I expected it to be. I was able to utilize the BOC support email, which helped to clarify my questions and aid in my preparation. As far as the specific exam experience was concerned, it was a very long and detailed exam. The difficult part for me was the topics relating to sports that are not generally played in Ireland such as American football or ice hockey specific questions. However, there were a lot of great resources online that helped me prepare.
Where will you practice now that you have earned the BOC certification?
My goal is to continue working with JAG Physical Therapy. After that I intend to work in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area either in a sports medicine role for a collegiate or professional team, or in a sports-specific outpatient clinic. I am particularly interested in working to reduce injury in high-performance athletes.
How will this impact your career in the short term and long term?
In the short term, it will allow me to gain experience and exposure to the athletic training field in the U.S., which is quite different from Ireland in a variety of ways. In the long term, this will give me greater knowledge of American sports and the preferred treatment options for patients here. Additionally, with this knowledge, I will have a wide range of skills to use with my patients as I can use my experience from Ireland and the U.S. to provide the best possible care.
What do you see as the benefits of the International Arrangement for ATs?
First and foremost, ATs are always needed, so allowing more ATs to work in a variety of areas will increase the number of athletes who have access to emergency first aid and athletic training services. Another important benefit is that it expands the freedom of ATs to work in different countries and gain experience in a variety of settings that are not always available where we are educated.
