O&P Assistant

You must be 18 years or older and meet the following requirements to be eligible to take the orthotic and/or prosthetic assistant exam. Please refer to the​ Assistant Candidate Guide for specific eligibility requirements. There are three pathways to certification:

Pathway 1: Education Only

• ​​Successfully complete a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited assistant education program

Pathways 2 & 3: Education & Clinical Experience

There are two experience pathways for eligibility. For either, you must have:

Education

Requirements for both pathways

• High school diploma, GED certificate, college transcript or World Education Service (WES) Credential Evaluation (only applicable if you received your education in a foreign country)
• ​Completion of three semester hours in each of the following courses (each course must be from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning):  ​

• ​​​Human Anatomy
• ​​​​​General/Fundamental Physics
• ​​​Medical Terminology

Experience

Pathway 2

• For single discipline certification, completion of 12 months (a minimum of 1900 hours) of clinical experience under Direct Supervision of a certified/licensed orthotist or prosthetist.
• ​For dual discipline certification, completion of 18 months of clinical experience in both orthotics and prosthetics with a minimum of six months in each discipline under Direct Supervision of a certified/licensed orthotist or prosthetist.

Pathway 3

For those who currently hold a nationally recognized certification in a related allied health profession (e.g., Medical Assistant, Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist/PTA, Occupational Therapist/OTA).

• For single discipline certification, completion of 500 hours of clinical experience under Direct Supervision of an ABC Certified Orthotist or Prosthetist.
• ​For dual discipline certification, completion of 1,000 hours of clinical experience in both orthotics and prosthetics with a minimum of 250 hours in each discipline.

Please reference the Scope of Practice for more information on Direct Supervision.

We encourage you to use the Orthotic Assistant Exam Candidate Self-Assessment Checklist or the Prosthetic Assistant Exam Candidate Self-Assessment Checklist as a tool to guide you through your work experience and to make sure that you are getting the type and amount of experience in each area that the profession expects.