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We talk with Arlene Gillis about how prosthetics and orthotics education is evolving and what it takes to train clinicians who can thrive in modern practice. We dig into hands-on fabrication, residency redesign, and the workforce pipeline that clinics need to keep patient care strong.

• Arlene’s path into prosthetics and orthotics through patient translation and a life-changing fitting
• How becoming an educator requires a new skill set beyond clinical training
• What the move to master’s level O&P education changes for standards, scope, and credibility
• Why hands-on fabrication time still matters even in digital and 3D printing workflows
• Traditional residency versus embedded residency and how mentorship can continue after graduation
• Who today’s O&P students are and how goals shift by background and generation
• Work-life balance, debt pressure, and why some young clinicians leave for higher-paying roles
• Business skills employers want most including coding, front office process, and cost awareness
• Digital workflow training including scanning, CAD, carvers, 3D printers, and EMR exposure
• Care extenders as a clinic model to improve access, speed, and workforce capacity

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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We break down what we saw at RAPID, from vapor smoothing and metal printing to reinforcement methods and silicone printing that could reshape interfaces. Then we talk with Alex Dahinten about building better socket comfort through real time adjustability and what it takes to get a new prosthetic solution into clinics through Medicare coding.

• Vapor smoothing as a path to cleaner looking 3D printed parts and the safety tradeoffs behind different chemicals
• What a smaller HP powder bed fusion machine could mean for clinic workflows and cost per part
• Foil based metal manufacturing as an alternative to powder handling for tight tolerance small parts
• Reinforcing thermoplastics by injecting fiber and resin into printed channels and why pricing matters

We then hear:
• Alex’s path from biomedical engineering into prosthetics and orthotics
• Upper limb prosthetics as systems integration with higher costs and heavier follow up burden
• Capacity building in global health as the difference between short term missions and sustainable care
• Why the socket interface drives outcomes and how compliance improves comfort without losing energy transfer
• Ethnocare’s Overlay air bladder sleeve for residual limb volume management and the doffing effect problem
• Medicare L5657 and the impact of a fee schedule on clinician and patient access

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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We talk with Danielle Robins about building orthoses and prostheses for pets and why veterinary rehab often lacks the training and support needed for consistent outcomes. We dig into what dogs actually need most, how remote consulting works across states and countries, and why better education could change the standard of care.

• Danielle's path from PT shadowing to O&P and then into animal orthotics after her own dog’s injury
• Why canine stifle bracing for CCL or ACL injuries dominates veterinary orthotics
• How animal biomechanics, suspension, and compliance make pet devices a different craft than human O&P
• Why cats rarely get devices and why three-legged cats often cope better than dogs
• Orthotics as a surgery alternative for ligaments, Achilles rehab, and challenging fusions
• Prosthetic candidacy, partial limb planning, and the veterinary tendency toward full amputation
• When wheelchairs and carts beat braces and prostheses
• The Orthopets shutdown and how it reshaped the veterinary O&P supply landscape
• Virtual casting support, fiberglass techniques, and using 3D scans to reduce shipping time
• Knowledge hoarding in a tiny market and Danielle's push toward a baseline certification
• Where 3D printing may fit

Special thanks to Advanced 3D for sponsoring this episode.

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