Janisse along with his father, Dennis, and brother, Jeremy, has teamed up with Dr. Comfort’s Senior Director of Education, Brian Lane, to form a core faculty that brings a combined 130-plus years of both clinical pedorthic and pedorthic education experience to the program. “We honestly feel we have the most experienced, respected and knowledgeable faculty in the business,” says Janisse. Altogether, MSMP boasts a faculty of seven, with additional instructors from the fields of podiatry, engineering, and physical therapy, making for an outstanding student-to-teacher ratio.
In addition to an incredible faculty, MSMP has built a brand new, state-of-the-art hands-on teaching fabrication lab. The 900-square-foot lab is outfitted with all new fabrication equipment. According to Janisse, “We went to great lengths to ensure that our students will have all the space, tools, and machinery they need to become adept at pedorthic fabrication and modification.” Right next door to the lab is a spacious, modern, and comfortable classroom for live lectures and hands-on workshops such as pedorthic patient assessment, gait analysis, shoe fitting, casting, and more. All of this is housed on the campus of Dr. Comfort’s corporate headquarters in Mequon, Wisconsin.
The Precertification Program in Pedorthics consists of fifty-eight online modules, followed by a week in Mequon for the hands-on portion. “All of the presentations were meticulously built from scratch over the course of several months,” says Janisse. “Nothing was recycled from classes past, or days gone by. We truly want our course to reflect the present and prepare our students for the future of the pedorthic profession.” MSMP’s Precertification Program in Pedorthics was approved by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) in March 2024. “ABC’s minimum requirement is that the schools provide at least 40 hours of hands-on education. Between live, in-person workshops and time spent making foot orthoses and modifying shoes in the lab, ours is closer to 60,” says Janisse. “We simply felt that it was just too much to cover adequately by sticking to the bare minimum time requirements. The seven days in Mequon will be pretty intensive; there’s a lot to cover and our goal is that everyone leaves MSMP feeling fully prepared and confident to begin their journey into the world of pedorthics.”
MSMP is offering three class sessions in 2024, with the plan to expand to five (or more) in 2025.
“The interest has been incredible so far. We’re looking forward to doing whatever we need to do to accommodate as many pedorthic students as possible. We’re so honored to have this opportunity to help shape the future of the pedorthic profession,” concludes Janisse.
To learn more about the Midwest School of Modern Pedorthics, visit MSMP.
