Entering the Profession

Many people enter the orthotics and prosthetics profession because they or a family member use a prosthesis or orthosis, or they work in an O&P facility or related field of rehabilitation such as physical or occupational therapy. Others come to the profession out of undergraduate majors such as engineering, bioengineering, kinesiology, or biology. Sometimes people see a successful prosthetic or orthotic user at work or on television, and become fascinated with how some simple looking plastic or carbon components can make such a difference in a person's life. Still others find their current work tedious or meaningless, and wish to enter a profession with greater personal impact.

Prosthetics and orthotics is a mystery to many. Why don't people just go to the drug store or surgical supply store and buy something off the shelf? Why does each person need to be custom fit? Why are prostheses and orthoses expensive? Why do some people regain full function, while others experience limitations or require assistive devices? Are prosthetists and orthotists practitioners? Artists? Technicians? Businessmen? (Yes, they are all of the above!)

You are encouraged to become an O&P professional - perhaps the most rewarding of all the allied health professions, because your work is making a difference...every day!