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If you like helping people get back to the lives they enjoy, the CSUDH Orthotic Fitter Pre-Certification education program is ideal. Becoming an orthotic fitter starts your journey into a great health profession without a lengthy education process. Salaries range from $50,000鈥�$70,000 per year, and students can begin working as an Orthotic Fitter within 6 months of completion.
Becoming a Certified Orthotic Fitter is:听
According to Walkabout Orthotics & Prosthetics, there are nearly 3,100 Certified Fitter-Orthotics in the United States, and the anticipates that employment for orthotists and prosthetists will increase by 15% from 2022 to 2032, which is significantly faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.听
What is an Orthotic Fitter?
A certified orthotic fitter is a trained healthcare professional who fits and provides certain orthoses鈥攃ustom or off-the-shelf external devices like braces or splints鈥攆or patients needing support, stabilization, or correction.
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In this program, students learn about the profession of orthotic bracing and how to assist certified orthotics and prosthetics practitioners when delivering braces for the body. Students work with individuals dealing with physical impairments, recovering from injury or surgery, or who may need support for sports or recreation activities. Students will utilize basic anatomy and biomechanical principles, identify orthopedic pathologies, develop strategies for patient assessment, and interdisciplinary communication skills.
Program instruction includes:
Students will learn to:
The program consists of two required concurrent one-unit courses comprised of lectures and activities held over a three-week period, and meets the educational requirements for the American Board of Certification (ABC) certification.
Instruction is delivered with a robust integration of hands-on clinical work, practical case studies, and a hybrid learning model combining on-campus as well as online components. Students will engage with and evaluate patient models exhibiting issues due to various clinical pathologies or injuries. The curriculum places considerable emphasis on students performing fittings of orthotic devices, followed by assessments of the fit and functionality of these interventions. Also, students must complete multiple written case studies exploring diverse levels of pathological involvement.
The program serves as a valuable pathway into the healthcare and medical profession, providing a fast track into a health career. Additionally, it provides upskilling/reskilling certification for those with an established background in healthcare, such as medical assistants, physical and occupational therapy aides, or assistants.
It is also an excellent option for high school graduates eager to launch their career in healthcare.
To be eligible for the CSUDH Orthotic Fitter Pre-Certification program, prospective students must:
The program fulfills the education training requirement for those looking to become a nationally recognized certified orthotic fitter. A certified orthotic fitter can work anywhere in the country, such as in a private Orthotics and Prosthetics clinic, veteran鈥檚 hospital, children's hospital, or a rehabilitation setting that houses an orthotics and prosthetics department.
There are two pathways for a person to become an ABC Certified Orthotic Fitter. One can be certified by either ABC (American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics) or BOC (Board of Certification/Accreditation) both involving an exam. To take the national board exam from the American Board for Certification (ABC) in orthotics, prosthetics, and pedorthics, prospective candidates are required to obtain 1,000 hours of supervised orthotic fitting patient care experience in an accredited O&P facility. This can be done before, during, or after the CSUDH pre-certification education program and CSUDH can provide resources to assist with securing a candidate鈥檚 clinical hours.
Those who currently hold a nationally recognized certification/license in a related allied health profession may have required supervised hours reduced. See for complete details.
For complete information about becoming ABC certified, visit:
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Courses are offered year-round and are held in a hybrid format, combining asynchronous online instruction with live, in-person sessions.
The total program cost is $925 鈥� comprised of two required concurrent one-unit courses for college credit:
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Ava Herbrick, CPO | Full Time LecturerAva Herbrick attended the Rancho Los Amigos Orthotic Program and received her certification in 1995. After several years working for Shriners, she attended the California State University Dominguez Hills Prosthetic Certificate program, and received her CPO in 2000. Ava then went to work at Rancho Los Amigos for the next nine years. She began volunteering with ABC as an Exam Trainee starting in 2006, and continues on as part of an advisory committee. She specializes in Orthotics and has extensive pediatric experience. She received her Master's Degree in Instructional Design from California State University, Fullerton in 2019.
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Mojtaba Kamyab, Ph.D., CPO(Ir) | Assistant ProfessorDr. Mojtaba Kamyab is an Assistant Professor at CSUDH and has been an Orthotist & Prosthetist for 26 years. He obtained is entry level O&P education from Iran University of Medical Sciences and his Masters of Science in O&P at the University of Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. He completed his Ph.D. in 2008 at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK focusing on Spinal Orthotics with solutions for Lower Back pain.
Dr. Kamyab was a faculty member at Iran University of Medical Sciences from 2008-2022, where he balanced clinical application, educational instruction, and research activities. He has instructed numerous O&P-related educational courses to undergrad and postgrad level students, managed thousands of O&P patients in clinical practice focusing on spinal orthotics, and has contributed to more than 50 O&P related publications in peer-reviewed journals.
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