Prosthetics and Orthotics (MS)

Capstone Project

Every student is expected to complete a research project from start to finish, which includes the identification of a topic, review of the pertinent literature, design of a data collection protocol, obtaining ethics approval, executing the protocol and associated analysis and interpretation and composing a final paper in publishable format. Our students have historically presented their capstone work at national conferences and some even publish as journal articles. Irrespective of these unique experiences and resume building opportunities, the exercise of conducting a meaningful research study is generally beneficial in becoming a better-informed and versatile practitioner who can effectively advance the discipline.

Starting in the first semester of the program, students learn about research methods and their applications. In the second semester this work continues in both the Evidence-Based Practice class (covering the proper ways to consume research literature) throughout the following terms and culminating in the Scholarly Paper class in the final semester of the program.

Clinical Internship

During the last term of the program, students complete a clinical internship of 340 hours. Many students relocate from Pittsburgh to complete this requirement. Pitt works closely with the student to set up this internship site for their final term. This clinical internship also helps to prepare students for their future residency.

Ahead of the final semester students identify a clinical setting or geographic area for their internship placement. The student will work closely with the department’s clinical coordinator to find a location. The University of Pittsburgh has many relationships with clinical sites nationwide.

This clinical internship helps prepare students for their future residency by providing them with experience working in an NCOPE accredited clinic. The expectation is unlike their previous shadowing experiences as this will allow the students to have opportunities to demonstrate their clinical proficiency by utilizing the skills they developed in the program and receive critical feedback from clinicians in the field.

Some popular internship sites are:

• Hanger Clinics
• Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and other pediatric sites
• Veterans Affairs sites