Part of every O&P clinician’s education includes device fabrication.
Prior to 1949, most professionals entered the profession through apprenticeship and mentoring that began with learning how to fabricate devices unique to O&P and its patients.1 A little over 20 years later in 1972 the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) created the Educational Accreditation Commission to develop clinical O&P programs with colleges and universities.1 It wasn’t until 1993 that the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) established standards and guidelines for education, establishing the minimum requirements to which an accredited program is held accountable.2 Since that time, the minimum educational requirement for an orthotist/prosthetist has advanced to an entry-level master’s degree, thereby affecting the various educational institutions, courses offered, and in some cases the content and depth of content in those courses.
