Prior to my graduate studies at Touro University Nevada I had limited experience with

critically appraised research. However, thanks to the emphasis that our program places on
evidence-based practice and research, I now regularly pull up peer-reviewed studies on anything
I would like to form an opinion on, both academically, and in my personal life.
My journey through the MSOT program has given me the skills, not only to conduct my
own research, as demonstrated in the qualitative and quantitative studies carried out, but to
critically appraise the work of others, as shown in the completion of critically appraised topic
(CAT). These skills have developed gradually over my time in the program, each building upon
one another. Each semester presented its own unique challenges in regard to research. At first,
understanding the different levels of research was confusing. Once that was understood, learning
to run statistical analysis poised another problem. Moving onward from quantitative research,
qualitative research represented another hurdle. Before my time at Touro, I had never been
exposed to this type of research. I am very thankful to be presented with the opportunity to learn
how to capture the lived experience of an individual for the purposes of research. It was a
challenge to change my typical pattern of thinking regarding research and to instead learn to shift
through the data collected for themes instead of numbers. Now, at the end of my journey, I feel
confident in my ability to conduct my own research and to incorporate evidence-based research
into practice.
This confidence has built as the months passed by and as different assignments have
required that I utilize my new found skills. For one assignment in particular, I was able to dive
deeply into the research regarding an intervention strategy used with adults with Parkinsons
called LVST BIG. Because I had done a thorough review of the evidence supporting the

program and was very familiar with the program components, I felt confident suggesting it as an
option for a client I treated in my level II fieldwork.
Overall, I have always been an individual that needs to know the reasoning behind
anything we do, and my time spent with research at Touro has only served to strengthen this
tendency. The difference is, now I have a vastly superior ability to find, appraise, and incorporate
research into my actions and patient interventions.