When Leslie Reece, DC, MS (’19), DACBSP became a chiropractor, she knew she wanted to work with athletes. After earning her Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from Cleveland University in 2017, Dr. Reece joined the Logan University team as a Sports Chiropractic Fellow. While gaining hands-on experience in her fellowship, she discovered Logan’s online Master of Science in Sports Science & Rehabilitation (MSSSR) program. Eager to expand her impact on the field, Dr. Reece knew the MSSSR program was the next step in her professional career.
“A DC degree teaches you how to be a good chiropractor, but I wanted to treat athletes, which requires an advanced understanding of the athletic population,” Dr. Reece said. “I needed to understand an athlete’s biomechanics, their strength and conditioning needs, and nutrition recommendations. Logan’s MSSSR program gave me all of that.”
Dr. Reece graduated from the program in 2019 while also working toward her Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (DACBSP).
“One of my favorite courses in the MSSSR program was emergency procedures,” she said. “It helped me prepare for the sports diplomate exam and gave me additional confidence on the sidelines. I’ve even audited the class since graduating to stay sharp.”
Now, Dr. Reece is a clinician at Logan’s Sports & Rehabilitation Clinic at the Montgomery Health Center on campus. There, she oversees Logan DC students in the sports rotation of their clinical internship as well as MSSSR students completing their internship requirements. These students assist her in treating both community members and athletes, including the St. Louis Ambush indoor soccer team.
“The students are great and bring real value to our patients,” Dr. Reece said. “There are incredible hands-on opportunities available for all Logan students, which was another highlight of my experience in the MSSSR program.”
Dr. Reece has worked with several students who are enrolled in both the DC and MSSSR programs.
“When students are dually enrolled in the MSSSR and DC programs, you can see them using an advanced sports knowledge in the clinic,” Dr. Reece said. “They’re more aware of things like concussion management, nutrition and overall communication with athletes.”
For those interested in the MSSSR program, Dr. Reece recommends outlining specific goals during the internship phase to make the most of the experience.
“If you want to work in sports—whether on the field or behind the scenes—the MSSSR program gives you the knowledge, tools and confidence to do it well,” she said.