Recipe for a Master’s Degree from Scratch

Part 4 of our exclusive coverage of the development of the master of science in orthotics and prosthetics program at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Inspiration I was filled with inspiration after reviewing the 67 completed applications Baylor received for the inaugural class of its master of science in orthotics and prosthetics (MSOP) program. We spent almost a year discussing students generically as the future recipients of our emerging educational "products," but it was humbling to learn names and backgrounds of real people who aspired to this role. Of those who applied, we selected 43 to meet in person-an exhilarating experience for me. The breadth, depth, and diversity of the applicant pool were staggering. From biomedical engineers, entrepreneurs, and parents, to artists, ranchers, and fashion designers, they had shown that they can accomplish anything, and collectively have just about done so. Yet each individual has interests that converge in pursuing an O&P career. The colorful narratives and recommendations of these individuals reinforced my commitment to ensure that our program design and individual courses provide an effective, challenging, and rewarding academic experience. Immediately following the interviews, we were struck by the difficulty of choosing only 18 students for our first class. While the concept of scoring and ranking individual interviewees appears unassuming on paper, transposing objective criteria onto unique personalities and extraordinary life circumstances for the purpose of ranking them is no simple task. The subjective nature of the process seemingly yielded three opinions for every two members of the admissions committee. In order to decide, members of the committee began asking each other questions such as, "What kind of clinician would this person become?" And, "Would you take your mother or child to this person for O&P services?" Accreditation The National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) program accreditation process is designed to be organic and ongoing through periodic reviews of milestones to ensure that principles are consistently applied across the various NCOPE-accredited O&P educational programs. Every one of the competencies required by NCOPE must be fulfilled in letter and spirit in every program. New programs must pass two formal hurdles before being granted candidacy status and permission to enroll students. Following the initial Application for Candidate Status and the written self-study we submitted last fall, we eagerly anticipated our site visit early this spring. Thankfully, both yielded favorable results; we were granted candidacy status and are officially authorized to enroll students. Full accreditation status, which normally takes about a year once students begin classes, may only be achieved after enrolling students and establishing enduring processes to evaluate program developments critically, determine suitable actions with these data, and make progress toward improvement accordingly. Possible changes include lengthening or expanding sections found to be especially challenging in the original space allotted or compressing those found to be redundant or slow moving in practice. Proceeding Apace Now that we can envision our students officially starting, we have reflected on the progress of this endeavor. While initial efforts were geared toward establishing programmatic values, principles, and strategies, later tasks necessarily evolved into creating content, linking individuals to responsibilities, and executing these assignments. The rate of productivity has been hectic. From my vantage point, the volume of tasks accomplished essentially doubled each month. What seemed gargantuan and interminable at first glance eventually became a manageable week's work even while coordinating other activities as they arose. Once students start, each week's work will continue to expand, but the past year has readied us for the pace. The End of the Beginning Prior to my involvement, this program's concept was incubated for several years by community practitioners, school administrators, industry partners, and, of course, many generous donors who believed in and committed to the idea with financial and in-kind support. With the integrated residency program and collaborative input of local practices, regional specialists, and sister education programs, the resulting student experiences will be far greater than this small number of full-time educators could provide alone. Our MSOP program is carried by the professional village in which we have taken up residence, and we have become the privileged orchestrators of a living series of experiences for our students to consume upon gaining entry. We look forward to creating the next generation of practitioners who will contribute to their own villages. The future is bright for O&P, and I feel privileged to help shape it. Joshua B. Utay, MEd, CPO, is an instructor and assistant director of the master of science in orthotics and prosthetics program at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He can be reached at utay@bcm.edu

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