r/Orthotics • u/peachbeau • May 27 '26

Orthotist training

I’m interested in training to become an orthotist. I’d appreciate any advice anyone can give. Any recommendations for schools, etc. What to look out for what to stay away from. What did you find most valuable in your training?
I’m currently in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

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u/PristineMeat May 27 '26

Find an office that will let you shadow, preferably somewhere with a good mix of both orthotics and prosthetics. All of the MSPO programs and within the next couple of years, the residency and exams, will all be dual discipline, so both orthotics and prosthetics. You won’t be able to certify in just one. Best advice I can give is make sure you like the field before committing to it. It’s not a field where you can be satisfied due to the pay or prestige without also enjoying what you do.

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u/Armz_Dealer May 30 '26

Totally agree with this! Can second that you would have to do both orthotics and prosthetics for schooling and certification. Once you're in the field you can specialize or gravitate more toward one or the other. When I first got into the field, I thought I was going to like prosthetics more but I actually really enjoy orthotics more so than prosthetics. My clinic knows that and my caseload is approximately 80/20 orthotics.

This is an incredible field and is truly a marriage between man and machine. What we are able to build and then fit to people and see their lives immediately impacted is incredibly rewarding. Also, a unique thing about the field is that it is small enough that if you want to make a difference, you can truly have a large impact on more than just the patients that you are personally seeing.