Education Pathways

There are various ways in which someone can serve the O&P community. One may choose between becoming an O&P practitioner (orthotist, prosthetist or orthotist/prosthetist), pedorthist, assistant, fitter, or technician. The educational pathways for each option are outlined below. Specific responsibilities for O&P professionals are explained in more detail in the Entering the Profession section.

NOTE: There is a national agenda to transition the O&P entry-level education to a professional master’s level program by 2010 for new programs and 2012 for existing CAAHEP-accredited programs. This agenda is currently undergoing assessment and a formal expectation for this may be publicized in the near future.