Join the Pathfinder Pilot
In January 2024, the BOC will launch the pilot for Pathfinder, a platform that guides professional development and promotes learning. Pathfinder is slated to be part of the Continuing Professional Certification (CPC) program currently in development and it promotes all components of CPC: Professionalism, Continuing Professional Development and Practice Performance. This pilot, approved last year by the BOC Board of Directors, is an opportunity for Athletic Trainers (ATs) to test and provide feedback throughout 2024. All ATs will be invited to participate in the Pathfinder pilot.
Pathfinder is a technology platform with a personalized dashboard through which ATs will have the opportunity to share their professional goals and interests, quiz themselves with evidence-based challenge questions and customize a professional development path by building a personal timeline. The intuitive system will recommend and allow you to save personalized references and continuing education programs from BOC Approved Providers.
ATs choosing to join the pilot will use Pathfinder during the first year of the 2024-2025 Certification Maintenance period. Ongoing participant feedback, as well as usage data, will be gathered and analyzed during this pilot period to refine and finalize this platform, as appropriate. This is an important step in the creation of an interactive and individualized platform to drive an impactful CPC experience for ATs.
The prototype of Pathfinder is based on an enhanced version of the existing BOC Professional Goals Appraisal (PGA) which enables ATs to assess professional needs and aspirations, develop goals and choose activities to enhance clinical competence and knowledge. Pathfinder provides a more interactive and personalized approach to developing a professional development path to meet the goals of each AT, no matter their setting or circumstances. The objective is for ATs to not only earn continuing education units to maintain certification but identify and select those that are meaningful to specific professional goals.
Benefits of Participation
Participation in this Pathfinder pilot is completely voluntary, there is no cost to you, and there are many advantages to participating and completing all requirements by Dec. 31, 2024
As a pilot participant, you will be an early adopter helping shape Pathfinder for fellow ATs while experiencing personalized professional development. You will also receive:
- 5 Category A continuing education units
- 5 Category B continuing education units
- Entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of many available $50 gift cards
Pathfinder Completion Requirements
The following requirements must be completed by the deadline to receive the benefits outlined above.
- My Goals
- Complete the SMART Questionnaire
- Set at least two goals
- My Challenge Questions
- Complete 15 challenge questions before the end of each quarter in 2024. (Alerts will remind you to do this on time.)
- Note: My Challenge Questions are for learning and self-awareness only and are not scored.
- My Learning Path
- Build and customize your professional development plan by adding at least two learning activities to your timeline.
- My Reflection
- Answer reflection questions when prompted (beginning in Quarter 4)
- Pilot Feedback Survey
- Upon completion of the above, you will be sent a survey that you must complete by Dec. 31, 2024.
Enrollment
In December, information about the Pathfinder option for 2024-2025 will appear in BOC profiles as ATs complete their certification maintenance requirements for 2022-2023. While full access will not open until January, ATs may enroll in the pilot program as early as December. Registration reminders will be sent through the first quarter of 2024 to encourage ATs who have not enrolled.
Questions
For additional information regarding the Pathfinder pilot, please contact pathfinder@bocatc.org with any questions.
This article was originally published in the 2023 winter “Cert Update.”
