About Mastery Pathways

About the Founder

Dr. T-Michael Dougherty, PTA,BSBA, MPA, Ed.D.
Founder of Mastery Pathways | PTA Program Director | Chair, Alabama Board of Physical Therapy

In a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Dougherty has served as a licensed clinician, educator, healthcare policy consultant, and administrator. He was elected to the Alabama Physical Therapy Association Board of Directors and appointed by Governor Kay Ivey to the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, where he was subsequently elevated to Board Chair.  In each of these roles, he has worked to build programs and departments from the ground up, lead reform efforts, and improve the lives of patients, students, clinicians, and caregivers.

Dr. Dougherty’s educational journey has taken him from licensed PTA to Doctor of Educational Leadership and Instructional Technology, having also attained a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Healthcare Administration. Through his education and career, one thing became increasingly clear: online continuing education isn’t living up to its potential. Too often, CEUs are treated as a requirement to meet—not a resource to grow from. They’re rarely designed with the learner in mind, and even less often built to support the real-world challenges professionals face in today’s fast-changing environment.

That realization is what led to the creation of Mastery Pathways—a platform designed to reimagine both the content and delivery of continuing education. Grounded in research, practical in focus, and built using modern instructional design, these courses reflect a shift away from traditional, passive models of learning.

Today’s professionals don’t want to sit through hours of static lectures or scroll through endless transcripts. Adult learners expect interactivity, relevance, and content that respects their time and experience. Every course on this platform is built to meet that standard—with tools that are credit-worthy, clinically relevant, and personally transformative.

Continuing education isn’t just about fulfilling a requirement. It’s about helping clinicians, educators, and leaders stay focused, stay aligned, and stay inspired as they pursue mastery in their personal and professional lives. 

I created Mastery Pathways because continuing education in healthcare shouldn’t feel like a waste of time.

As a clinician, PTA Program Director, healthcare policy consultant, and Chair of the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, I’ve spent years listening to professionals across the field—PTs, OTs, assistants, nurses, PA’s, Physicians, and students and I always heard the same thing about online continuing education:

“I do CEUs online because I have to—not because they actually help me.”

That has always stuck with me, and as a clinician myself who routinely seeks online CEUs to fit into my busy schedule, I feel the same way. 

Too many continuing education courses are long, passive, and built around outdated delivery models. Learners sit through hours of video or skim through slides and lengthy transcripts, just trying to get through it. And while we may earn the credit, we rarely walk away feeling changed or armed with new knowledge that sticks with us beyond the end of the course.

We saw an opportunity to do better—and to build something that respects both the demands of clinical life and the science of how adults learn.

At Mastery Pathways, we still meet all CEU requirements—but how we design and deliver learning is entirely different.

Our courses are built around principles of microlearning, cognitive load theory, and adult learning science—not just to check a box, but to help clinicians grow in ways that actually matter.

That means:

  • Content is delivered in short, focused segments that are intentionally designed to keep learners actively engaged
  • Lessons are structured to minimize mental fatigue and maximize clarity
  • Learners progress at their own pace, on their own schedule
  • Reflection, application, and real-world tools are built into the experience

We’re not trying to make CEUs shorter. We’re making the time useful and enjoyable. 

By applying instructional design methods supported by research, we help learners retain more, reflect more deeply, and leave with something they can actually use the next day—in the clinic, in conversation, or in moments of overwhelm.

Although we plan to expand into clinical and specialty content, we’re starting where the need is most urgent—and most overlooked.

Our early courses focus on mindset, burnout recovery, resilience, leadership, communication, and emotional clarity—because these are the areas healthcare professionals tell us they’re struggling with most, and current research backs it up. 

In a profession marked by rising workloads, growing debt, technological change, and emotional strain, learning updated treatment protocols alone isn’t enough. Clinicians need tools to help them stay grounded, think clearly, manage stress, and stay connected to their purpose—especially as the pace and complexity of healthcare continues to increase and change is the norm, rather than the exception. 

This isn’t “soft skills” training. It’s the foundation for sustainable performance, clarity, and leadership, and it’s informed and underpinned by decades of continuously evolving peer-reviewed research.  

And as we grow, we plan to collaborate with other clinicians to expand our library into clinical and specialty topics—by helping them translate their existing material into our innovative, neuroscience-informed course delivery format. Through author training and content support, we’ll guide educators in turning their outdated lectures into modern, high-impact learning experiences that work better for real learners in real life.

.

The name Mastery Pathways isn’t just a brand. It’s a philosophy.

We believe mastery is not a destination—it’s a process. A mindset. A commitment to continually refining the skills, awareness, and clarity that make you effective in your work and aligned in your purpose.

We define mastery as:

  • The ongoing pursuit of getting better at what matters
  • The daily commitment to personal and professional growth—not out of obligation, but out of a sense of meaning
  • The ability to maintain focus, adapt to change, and stay grounded through complexity
  • A return to the habits, values, and clarity that define who you are and why you do this work

CEUs should support that process—not interrupt it.
Our goal is to make continuing education a catalyst for mastery, not just a requirement for renewal.

We know how healthcare feels right now: fast, full, and demanding. That’s why we’ve designed every course at Mastery Pathways with the realities of clinical life in mind.

Our courses are:

  • Modular and flexible – Designed to fit into fragmented schedules without sacrificing depth
  • Cognitively optimized – Built to manage mental load and increase clarity
  • Mobile- and scroll-friendly – No clunky platforms or hour-long lectures—just fluid, intuitive learning
  • Rooted in evidence, not fluff – We blend research with practical tools, narrative examples, and meaningful reflection
  • Engaging and personal – You won’t just sit back and absorb. You’ll think, apply, and grow

Mastery Pathways is just getting started.

Our vision is to become a leading force in redefining continuing education for healthcare professionals—one that centers learning around purpose, usability, and transformation.

We believe continuing education should do more than deliver information. It should give you things that you can use to enhance your performance as a clinician and improve your ability to not just function in your current role, but to thrive in it: energy, insight, momentum, perspective, with real strategies you can use.

Because when CEUs are designed with intention, they don’t just help you renew your license.
They renew you as a person, as a professional, and as a provider.Â