Students Rule the Annual Meeting

One of the things you will notice about the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium (Atlanta, March 4�7, 2009) is the number of young people in attendance. This is due largely to our efforts to make young people aware of O&P as a possible career choice. Many of the strides that the Academy has made in recent years to raise awareness of our profession have been accomplished through programs developed under the rubric of the grant we received from the U.S. Department of Education.

Getting Them Interested Early

As we have in the past, we have again invited area high school students to come to our meeting to learn more about O&P. At the meeting, these students will interact with current O&P students during the High School Awareness Program, where they will do some handheld scanning, "walk" on prosthetic feet, pick up objects with a myoelectric hand, and try on some orthoses.

During this program, students from the nine O&P-practitioner schools (California State University, Dominguez Hills; Century College, White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti; Georgia Institute of Technology, Adanta; Newington Certificate Program, Connecticut; Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; St. Petersburg College, Florida; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas; and University of Washington, Seattle) will share with the high school students insights on why they chose O&P as a profession. They will give the students advice on getting into an O&P education program and answer other O&P-career-related questions. Our current students will then take the high school students on a personalized tour of the Exhibit Hall so they can see all the latest O&P technologies.

Special Sessions for O&P Students

Several sessions and events during the Annual Meeting are focused exclusively on the O&P student. All O&P students have been invited to participate in the Resident Networking Session, where they will meet with representatives from the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) to learn about the residency process; meet with representatives from the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) to discuss the steps required to become an ABC-certified practitioner; and meet with residency directors and current residents from a variety of sites to gain insight on what to look for in a residency so that they get the most out of tins important part of their education. This session will be followed by an informal Student Social, sponsored by College Park Industries Inc., where they will have the opportunity to network with other students, educators, and residents. Students have also been invited to participate in a reception hosted by the Academy's Women in O&P Committee. During this informal wine-and-cheese reception sponsored by College Park Industries Inc., the Committee will encourage students to sign up as proteges in the Academy's mentoring program, which is open to all students, residents, and practitioners who have been in the field three or fewer years. (If you are a practitioner interested in becoming a mentor and you have been in the field for more than three years, e-mail for more information). This successful program pairs new entrants in the profession with a mentor who will help them define and achieve their career goals.

Give Them a Hand

These individuals are the practitioners of tomorrow. As you encounter them in the Exhibit Hall or in other areas of the Annual Meeting, please take some time talk to them about your successes and to encourage their interest in O&P!

For more information about these programs or any of the Academy's other grant-related activities, contact Kimber Nation, grant administrator and council coordinator at the Academy at or call 202.380.3663.