Our coverage often highlights ways to improve O&P patient care, but equally important to this end goal is supporting the practitioners providing that care. In this edition, focused on advancing the profession, we discuss the updated residency standards, the anxiety associated with imposter phenomenon and its impact on clinicians, and the implications of a recent final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS).
In July 2025, the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) began implementing changes to the residency requirements that will apply to all residents completing their programs after November 2027, with these standards phased in for current residents, residency sites, and those seeking reaccreditation. In “The Profession Weighs in: Impacts of O&P Residency Changes,” we spoke with program directors, NCOPE representatives, and residency directors to understand what the updated requirements will mean for the profession.
Clinicians’ confidence in their own abilities is integral to patient care—confident practitioners inspire confidence in their patients. But as “Of Pandas and the Imposter Phenomenon in Healthcare” discusses, many high-performing students and residents in healthcare professions experience a sense of anxiety and self-doubt that persists even after they’ve become experienced, accomplished clinicians and how awareness of this phenomenon can help mentors guide those new to O&P.
After CMS announced its proposed rule that encompassed an expansion of competitive bidding of off-the-shelf orthoses (OTS) to include upper-limb orthoses, new calculations for determining OTS reimbursement amounts, and annual reaccreditation for all durable medical equipment, prosthetic, and orthotic suppliers, the O&P Alliance’s comments were among the 18,000 it received. Nevertheless, bucking historical precedent, the rule was finalized nearly as proposed—seemingly ignoring public comment. “CMS Expands Medicare Competitive Bidding of OTS Orthoses” explores what this means for the profession and what the Alliance and other groups can do to continue to advocate for O&P before full implementation of all portions of the rule.
Finally, if you are attending the Academy meeting, please stop by and say hi to our staff at booth #812.
Andrea Spridgen
