University of Pittsburgh Adds Orthotics and Prosthetics Master’s Program

The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), Pennsylvania, announced the addition of a new master's program to its curriculum. The Master of Science in Health and Rehabilitation Science, with a concentration in prosthetics and orthotics (MSPO), will be available to students in the 2008 fall semester. This two-year program within the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology is designed to prepare students to be certified prosthetists and orthotists.

"Prosthetics and orthotics is rapidly changing the profession with recent advances in materials, intelligent components, and in assessment and limb fitting technologies," noted Rory A. Cooper, PhD, chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology at SHRS and director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL). "The University of Pittsburgh has been at the forefront of advancing technology for people with disabilities and older adults, and we are excited about expanding our activities in prosthetics and orthotics."

According to SHRS, the MSPO program is "designed to meet all standards for accreditation by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) and for preparing students to take the American Board of Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (ABC) examination." The program is currently seeking NCOPE accreditation.

SHRS was established in 1969 and today is dedicated to moving lives forward through academic research, technology design, and rigorous training to educate the next generation of health professionals who will help others reach their fullest potential.

As one of the universitys six Schools of the Health Sciences, SHRS is the academic partner to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which is associated with a variety of multidisciplinary centers including the Facial Nerve Center, the Jordan Balance and Vestibular Laboratory, Sports Medicine Institute, Centers for Rehab Services, and the Comprehensive Spine Center. The school also has established the Center for Assistive Technology, the NIDRR Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center, and HERL, the Pitt/VA Human Engineering Research Laboratories.

For more information, visit www.shrs.pitt.edu

Table Of Contents - April 2008

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	The Battle of Compliance: How to Keep Kids in Their Braces Feature
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	Innovative Crutch Designs: More Gain, Much Less Pain Innovations
	The Winter of My New-Found Reality Residency Report
	Father, Son Begin 3,300-mile Freedom Run Across the United States Sports
	University of Pittsburgh Adds Orthotics and Prosthetics Master’s Program Industry Review
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	Five Questions for Jean Williams Gonzalez, CPO Face to Face
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