Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies - School of Health Sciences

School of Health Sciences

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Rochester, MI 48309-4452
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(248) 370-2369
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Within the Department of Human Movement Science, the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science offers an Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies (OPA) specialization. In this program, you will develop the skills needed for face-to-face patient care under the direction of a certified orthotist or prosthetist. Clinically, the OPA is a professionally accredited profession requiring successful post-graduate completion of both a clinical residency and a professional licensing exam to enter practice.

The foci of this challenging field includes providing multiple levels of patient care, through appropriate orthotic/orthosis (bracing) and prosthetic (partial limb replacement) interventions, based upon the knowledge of pathologies and injuries, the physical assessment of impacts and compensations on gait and functional movement, and the selection/refinement of patient solutions.

Oakland University has earned Candidate for Accreditation Status from the National Commission on Orthotic Prosthetic Education (NCOPE). Now enrolling students, Oakland University is the first program in the nation actively pursuing initial CAAHEP accreditation for the program based upon the 2019 CAAHEP Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Standards. Our review is planned for 2024, timed for the graduation of this program's initial class.

Program Overview Curricular Requirements Degree Plan Advising Apply

Curriculum

In this program, you will complete the core Exercise Science courses as well as specific courses related to orthotics and prosthetics. Detailed information can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog (see Curricular Requirements).

For information regarding specific course requirements, please contact Tamara Treanore, Director and Instructor of Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies, at ttreanore@oakland.edu.

Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies Minor

An 18-credit minor in Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies is available to students in any major. The purpose of this minor is to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of this meaningful field of practice through coursework, as a means of supplementing the student’s home major field (such as health science, engineering, biology, social work). Students in the minor take courses from the Orthotist and Prosthetist Assistant Studies (OPA) specialization, which is part of the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degree program. For specific course requirements, visit the Undergraduate Catalog minor page.

Career Information

An Orthotic and/or Prosthetic Assistant performs patient management tasks under the supervision of a certified practitioner as well as fabricating, repairing and maintaining devices. Assistants play an important role on the healthcare team. They often work in patient care facilities, such as hospitals, physical therapy clinics or privately-owned orthotics and prosthetics offices, where they fit, customize and modify orthotic and prosthetic devices to make sure they fit the patients' unique needs.

Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there is above-average job growth expected for Orthotist and/or Prosthetist Assistants (and all medical appliance technician jobs) over the next decade. Increased limb loss caused by cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as technological advancements leading to the updates of existing orthotic and prosthetic devices are expected to create job growth in the field.

Average Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median annual wage for medical appliance technicians, such as orthotist and prosthetist technicians who have received an Associate's degree or certificate, was $46,320 in 2021. Meanwhile, according to the BLS, the median annual wage for orthotists and prosthetists who have received a Master's degree was $75,440 in 2021. The salary for an orthotist and prosthetist assistant with a Bachelor's degree has not been defined yet by the BLS but is expected to be somewhere in that range.