This is the first of a three part series on Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) education and training in Canada.
We have a very exciting development to announce!
Winnipeg Prosthetics and Orthotics (WinPO) has worked closely with George Brown College (GBC) in Toronto, Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg and the Manitoba Orthotics and Prosthetics Association (MOPA) in creating a blended learning program, adding two students to the GBC program.
As of September 2020, two students have started their formal P&O training in Winnipeg. They are receiving their classroom instruction via an online platform directly from GBC instructors in Toronto and their practical training with local P&O professionals and patient volunteers. WinPO and many of our P&O clinicians are responsible for several aspects of their learning throughout the next two years of their studies. Bram, Peter, Christine, Marc and Eric will all share in helping to provide these students with a strong experiential learning environment.
Some background regarding the education and training to become a Certified Prosthetist and/or Orthotist in Canada
Clinicians are highly trained P&O professionals who work directly with patients and are the primary caregivers responsible for their Prosthetic and/or Orthotic care. In order to become a clinician they must attend one of two schools in Canada, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, BC or George Brown College (GBC) in Toronto, ON. Both are two year programs that teach the fundamentals to become a P and/or O clinician. The pre-requisite to get into either of these schools is an undergraduate degree in a related field of study such as, Kinesiology, Engineering, Biology, etc.
Both schools, BCIT and GBC have limited enrollment due to the high level of training involved to graduate their students. BCIT has a class of 12 students that enroll/graduate every two years and GBC has historically had a class of eight students enroll/graduate every year.
The field of Prosthetics and Orthotics is extremely vast and diverse and we at WinPO are very proud and excited to help these students learn the fundamentals of P&O care and wish them nothing but the best in their studies.