Orthotic and Prosthetic Technicians

Few opportunities exist for people without training to get paid part-time or summer work in the orthotics and prosthetics field. Your first actual exposure to the work will probably be as part of a supervised training program or a clinical experience in a formal degree program. You can find out more about this kind of work by volunteering in a rehabilitation center or hospital with an orthotics and prosthetics department. On such a visit, you can see technicians at work and perhaps talk with them about what their jobs are like. Volunteering will also demonstrate your sincere interest in the field to training program admissions officers and future employers.

To find an orthotic and prosthetic professional near you, go to http://www.opcareers.org. On the homepage there is a link to "Talk to an O&P Professional in Your Area." These individuals will answer your questions or provide an opportunitiy to come in and see them at work.

You can also become familiar with the field by reading about it. For example, you might want to read an issue of or even subscribe to the O&P Almanac (https://www.aopanet.org/publications/op-almanac-magazine), a magazine published by the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association that covers business, government, and professional news concerning the industry.