Behind the Sports Medicine

About Behind the Sports Medicine

Interviewing experts in the healthcare, physical therapy, athletic training and sports science profession. Discussing the barriers we face today within the healthcare system to better understand the landscape and educate the consumer.

Publisher

ajrsportsscience

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Mar 2024

Latest episode

21 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

93 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Jan 2026

   Episode 55: Chris Ingersoll - UNC Chapel Hill’s Dr. Chris Ingersoll on Academic Medicine, Mentorship & Trust

   What does it take to lead a department responsible for 12 different clinical programs and numerous future healthcare providers? In an increasingly complex academic and clinical domain, today’s guest believes that the answer often boils down to two fundamental human elements: trust and respect. In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth are joined by Dr. Chris Ingersoll, Senior Associate Dean in the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences, live from the 2025 NATA Convention in Orlando. Ingersoll shares insights from decades in academic medicine, including how large institutions support high-quality research, the challenges facing modern academic publishing, and how UNC is preparing future clinicians for the era of AI and rapid innovation. The conversation also explores the importance of interprofessional education, why mentorship should be a lifelong pursuit, and how leadership rooted in trust and respect creates stronger cultures and better outcomes. MEET THE GUEST Dr. Chris Ingersoll - PhD, LAT, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, FASAHP, FNAP - Senior Associate Dean & Chair, Department of Health Sciences - UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine - Professor, Health Sciences, Orthopaedics, and Exercise and Sport Sciences - NATA Hall of Fame Inductee TOPICS DISCUSSED - UNC Health Sciences leadership and department structure - Literature dilution and predatory journals - Importance of trust & respect - Preparing future clinicians for AI and innovation - Lifelong mentorship in academic and clinical success HIGHLIGHTS 01:06 — The Department of Health Sciences Overview 04:31 — Sponsors: Met One Technologies & Get Raw 05:33 — Type of Students at UNC 06:31 — Federal, NIH, and Private Funding 08:12 — Current Research Focus 08:47 — Quality of Modern Medical Literature 10:35 — The Danger of Predatory Journals 12:07 — UNC's Strategic Pillars 13:12 — Current Areas of Focus for Research 15:06 — Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare 16:43 — Building a Children's Hospital with Duke University 18:53 — The Challenges and Rewards of Leading at UNC 19:55 — Ingersoll's Goals and the Importance of Trust & Respect 24:59 — Preparing Future Clinicians for AI and Innovation 29:57 — The Role of Mentorship in Academic and Clinical Success 31:44 — The Lifelong Nature of Mentorship QUOTES: 22:39 - But when you start with trust, and you tell people that you trust them, they feel empowered by that. Then they work to keep your trust. And I think you start with and maintain a much better culture within your organization when they believe that they're being trusted and they're willing to give trust.” - Chris Ingersoll 23:59 - “I think trust and respect are the only two essential elements that we need to be successful. I mean, do you have to like me to be motivated to work and do some things? No. But you need to trust me, and you need to respect me. And if we have those two things, we can do whatever we need to do.” - Chris Ingersoll 25:46 - “It's like, how are we going to use AI to provide better care? And these ideas, like precision medicine, I mean, imagine the information that has to go into that? We're going to have to rely on AI to give us some choices in terms of what we might choose to do. But I believe, old-fashioned or not, that in the end, the human has to make the decision.” - Chris Ingersoll 30:50 - “And I would argue that the best model is having multiple mentors, not a mentor. - Chris Ingersoll LINKS Christopher Ingersoll: UNC School of Medicine, Health Sciences:...

2. 

   14 Jan 2026

   Episode 54: Sam Hughes - The Evolution of Athletic Training Education

   How do you modernize athletic training education to meet the demands of the role in the current landscape? The past few years have seen a shift from rigid, hour-based clinical models to immersive, real-world learning experiences designed to create better clinicians. In this episode, hosts Andrew Rizza and Dr. Cameron Roth sit down with Sam Hughes, Director of Clinical Education and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho, to explore how modern clinical education is evolving and what it takes to prepare athletic trainers for the realities of the job. Hughes shares how immersive clinical rotations, hybrid models, and increased autonomy are reshaping athletic training programs. The conversation dives into accreditation standards, patient-reported outcome measures, documentation challenges, and workforce shortages. Hughes also discusses the University of Idaho’s ISMaRT Clinic, where students take on full patient care responsibilities under supervision, and the upcoming shift toward more interprofessional collaboration with the "School of Health and Medical Professions" (SHAMP). MEET THE GUEST Samantha Hughes DAT, LAT, ATC Director of Clinical Education in the Athletic Training Program at the University of Idaho Clinical Assistant Professor in Movement Sciences TOPICS DISCUSSED Evolution of athletic training clinical education to immersive, hybrid models University of Idaho's iSMART clinic and student rotations CAATE accreditation standards and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) Current challenges in clinical education Interprofessional collaboration and the future of athletic training education HIGHLIGHTS 00:54 – The Evolution of Clinical Education 02:37 – University of Idaho's Hybrid Approach 03:48 – The Diversity of Athletic Training (Gen Med) 06:02 – Sponsors: Met One Technologies & Get Raw 07:04 – CAATE Accreditation Explained 09:09 – What "Movement Sciences" Are 11:21 – Ethics and Administration in Athletic Training 12:39 – Scientific Writing for Publication and Patient Care 13:33 – Changes in Student Expectations 16:56 – The Importance of Patient-Reported Outcomes 18:42 – Synthesizing, Analyzing, and Publishing Data 20:08 – The ISMaRT Clinic 21:31 – Comparing past vs. Present Clinical Standards 23:33 – Feasibility of Overseas Rotations 24:59 – Crossover with Orthopedic Surgeons in Training 25:47 – Current Challenges in Clinical Education 27:33 – Educating Students on Variable Workloads 31:02 – The Shortage of Athletic Trainers 33:20 – Alternative Education Paths 35:59 – Advice for Athletic Trainers Interested in Educator Roles 37:08 – Measuring Success for Students and Preceptors 39:25 – E*Value Platform and Check-Ins for Tracking 41:07 – Future of University of Idaho's Programs 42:44 – Hughes' One Change for AT Education 44:10 – Sam Hughes' Mission as an Educator QUOTES: 16:42 - “I think students are coming in, thinking things are busy work, and not understanding the ‘why’ behind something. And that's something that I personally, as an educator, have been trying to do, is give them that ‘why’.” - Sam Hughes 28:58 - “I'm hopeful that before someone applies to an athletic training program, they look into the profession, they look into the mean salary, and they understand, ‘Okay, maybe this isn't the highest paying job,’ and then they come in with a passion of helping people.” - Sam Hughes 41:56 - “Yeah, interprofessional collaboration, I think, is going to be really big and something we want to see across all healthcare professions. Because athletic training, our scope, is so broad, and we do so much,...

3. 

   7 Jan 2026

   Episode 53: Tom Denninger - Clinical Excellence: Rethinking Post-Professional Education in Sports Medicine

   In an era where healthcare is rapidly evolving, the path from being a new graduate to a seasoned expert requires a commitment to lifelong learning and a strategic approach to professional growth. In this episode, host Andrew Rizza sits down with Tom Denninger, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, the Vice President of Clinical Development at ATI Physical Therapy, and Executive Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Advancement (iMSKA). Denninger has spent much of his career focused on how to support clinicians to achieve clinical excellence in every stage of their careers. Together, they explore the evolution of continuing education, residency training, and mentorship in sports medicine, far beyond just CEUs. The conversation covers ATI’s MSK Certification and the launch of iMSKA, an innovative program that is bridging the gap between education, research, and patient care. Denninger discusses how mentorship should function in practice, introducing the concept of a "professional cabinet” and explaining the difference between formal and informal mentorship. He also offers valuable advice for new graduates, experienced clinicians, and leaders looking to achieve and maintain excellence for the long term in healthcare. MEET THE GUEST Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Vice President of Clinical Development at ATI Physical Therapy Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT) Executive Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Advancement (iMSKA) TOPICS DISCUSSED The evolution of post-professional education The MSK Certification & the Institute for Musculoskeletal Advancement (iMSKA) Opportunities for CEU credits Formal and informal mentorship Advice for new graduates HIGHLIGHTS 01:08 — Denninger's Career Journey 03:16 — Post-Professional Education 07:10 — MSK Certification Explained 09:49 — Use Cases for the Program 12:36 — The Importance of Revisiting the Basics 14:32 — The Evolution of iMSKA 16:33 — iMSKA Programs & Research Fellowships 19:22 — Vision for Clinical Development at ATI 23:15 — How To Get CEU Credits 26:16 — Building Professional Competencies 29:41 — The Evolution of Mentorship 34:36 — Informal Mentorship 39:56 — Clinician Feedback 44:13 — Advice for New Graduates 51:26 — Denninger Outside the Clinic QUOTES: 32:52 - “‘Mentorship' is such a vogue word out there. When we think about how people learn, it comes down to this kind of universal principle of 70-20-10 — 70% of what you learn is going to be by doing, 20% is going to come from projects and collaboration, and 10 is going to come from didactic information, things along those lines. Mentorship falls in that 20% where it should enhance the 70 and the 10.” - Tom Denninger 36:18 - “And it can be sometimes a little bit weird where you're like, ‘Will you be my mentor?’ That's not always how that works. I do think a program is good, and someone being assigned that skill, that doing it is important. But I always encourage people to think a little bit more of like ‘the cabinet’; what's your professional cabinet? How do you collect people that you can bounce ideas off of?” - Tom Denninger 38:35 - “And the two-way street of mentorship is important, right? By being your mentor, it's helping me reflect on my practice and helping me identify gaps in my knowledge. So it should always be mutually beneficial.” - Tom Denninger 50:27 - “When you choose an employer, what you're really selecting is an opportunity. At the end of the day, it's what are you going to do...

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