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Passion Found, Hard Work Begins
By Kristin Carnahan 
As I start my second year in the master of science in
prosthetics and orthotics (MSPO) program at the Georgia Institute
of Technology (Georgia Tech), it is exciting to think back to where
I was just a little more than a year ago. I graduated in 2000 with
a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and hit the ground
running as a budding young engineer. Shortly after beginning that
run, I knew I did not want to go the distance. To put it simply,
the thought of still working in the same field when I earn my Rolex
watch made me sick to my stomach.
I began to search for a career that would more accurately
reflect my passion for serving people, advancing technology, and
applying medical treatment. I was living in Augusta, Georgia, at
the time, so Georgia Tech was a natural place for me to search out
educational opportunities. A friend of mine had suggested that I
look into rehabilitation engineering; however, the more I looked,
the more I realized that research alone was not a great fit for me.
I desired a setting in which I would be working directly with
people. Thankfully, during my cyber search I stumbled from Georgia
Tech's biomedical engineering webpage to the orthotics and
prosthetics webpage. Georgia Tech's O&P program was a perfect
blend of patient service, hands-on work, and opportunities for
research. After visiting the campus and a few months of researching
the profession, I knew that both the university and the profession
were right for me. While the O&P profession seemed a far cry
from the nuclear power plant at which I was employed, I was
thankful and excited for the change.
As soon as I was accepted at Georgia Tech, I sold my house,
packed up all my belongings (and my unsuspecting dog), and moved to
Atlanta. As the first semester progressed, I found myself buried in
books half the time and covered in plaster the remainder of the
time. I eagerly stood in front of a proverbial fire hydrant,
soaking up information about clinical pathology, anatomy,
biomechanics, gait analysis, and, of course, prosthetics and
orthotics.
One Year Later
As I begin my second year of the program, I am still invigorated
and excited about this new career. I love what I am doing, and I'm
not even getting paid yet!
One of the most appealing aspects of this profession for me is
the clearly stated need for advancement and outcomes-based
research. I remember reading articles in The O&P EDGE
about the need for research while I was still investigating this
profession and applying to school. I wanted to play a role in
meeting this need, and at Georgia Tech I will have the opportunity
to contribute by conducting research while obtaining my degree. In
fact, this opportunity is now staring me in the face as a
graduation requirement. My summer "break" was filled with more
burying of my head in books, more plaster, and, "by the way, make
sure you are doing research in your spare time."
While my classmates and I are a little taken aback at the lack
of time allotted for accomplishing our research, I have had to
remind myself that this is great practice for the rest of our
careers. How many practitioners out there have spare time to devote
to the evidence-based practice approach? I suppose everyone is at
least attempting to apply evidence-based practice, whether it is
through documented research or anecdotal experience. However, from
my clinical rotation exposure thus far, I can see that few
practitioners have time to devote to thorough clinical research. It
seems to be enough of a challenge to wade through basic
patient-visit documentation.
As I think of the daunting task I will face in the coming
months, I have to wonder when I will actually have time for all
that is involved in research - Institutional Review Board approval,
subject recruitment, data collection, and so on. I can only hope
that this will ultimately be the preparation I need to one day
balance the demands of patient care and practice management with
the less pressing (but equally important) demands of clinically
relevant research.
Miles to Go
Despite the demands of education, I wouldn't trade it or this
career for any other. As my knowledge and experience increases, my
respect and compassion for the people whom I hope someday to serve
grows exponentially. Every patient and practitioner I have met and
spent time with has made me more thankful for this career, which
not only feeds my passion, but also provides rewards beyond my
expectations.
Kristin Carnahan is a graduate student in the MSPO program
at the School of Applied Physiology at the Georgia Institute of
Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. She will be sharing her experiences
through articles in The O&P EDGE throughout the rest
of her two-year program. 
Table Of Contents - November 2007
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