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- Provide care for people who need an artificial limb
- You'll need technical and practical skills with problem solving skills
- You could progress to a management post or move into a specialist clinical area
As a prosthetist-orthotist, you'll provide care to people who need artificial limbs or devices.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Designing and fitting surgical appliances (orthoses) like braces, callipers and splints
- Working with people recovering from a stroke, those with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, or cerebral palsy
- Assessing a patient's needs before they have an artificial limb or appliance fitted
- Taking measurements and using computer modelling to produce a design of the prostheses or orthoses
- Explaining a finished design to a technician, who will produce the final product
- Carrying out follow-up checks with patients to see how they are coping with their device
- Making sure the appliance or limb is functioning properly, and is comfortable
- Carrying out adjustments or repairs
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll work at hospitals, clinics or health centres. You might also need to visit patients in their own homes.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need customer service skills, sensitivity and understanding, thoroughness and attention to detail, knowledge of medicine and dentistry, patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, physical skills, knowledge of manufacturing production and processes, and excellent verbal communication skills.
You can take a degree in prosthetics and orthotics, approved by the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists and the Health and Care Professions Council. The approved degree course is available at 2 universities in the UK, the University of Salford and University of Strathclyde.
You can also get into this career through a prosthetist-orthotist degree apprenticeship.
You'll also need to pass enhanced background checks.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress to a management post or move into a specialist clinical area. You could also move into teaching, or a research and development post.