By Patricia Franklin
Staff Writer
It’s a bit of a hike from our campus to where students majoring in a certain master’s program take their classes. But it’s only fitting, since training people to better assist others with mobility issues is one of the reasons California State University, Dominguez Hills offers an orthotics and prosthetics advanced degree
The program is located in Los Alamitos, about 15 miles southeast of campus, and offers students an extensive curriculum of interacting with patient models, in-class lectures, projects, online discussion boards and various networking events.
The program started at CSUDH in 1987 when only a bachelor’s degree was required for the field. In 2014, the first orthotics and prosthetics master’s program was born. In 2016, Mark Muller was named department chair of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Master of Science degree program, which is part of the Division of Health Sciences of the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing.
“Orthotics and Prosthetics is not a common major by any means,” Muller said. “I didn’t discover the field until I was going through my senior year in college.”
The program receives about 75 to 100 applicants and is very competitive to get into. It is a two-year program consisting of 22 to 24 students. Most students who get accepted to the program have a passion for the field.
“When I was 15 years old my grandmother had a knee replacement,” said Ciera Price, a second-year student. “I moved in with her for a few weeks to cook meals and help out around the house. After that experience, I started thinking about my career. I began volunteering at a pediatric hospital and I knew O & P was a career for me.”
In the program, students work with patient models. Even though they are just models, the work is taken seriously, as students are critiqued for their work, measurements and have one-on-one discussions with instructors.
“I love that the program allows us to interact with patient models as well as individuals in the field,” said Rebecca, a second-year student. “The program also provides a ton of different techniques and experiences.”
Muller would like for the program to be more engaged on campus by “collaborating with occupational therapy, nursing, kinesiology and any other programs.” In the next five to 10 years, he said he would like the program to grow and offer a clinical doctorate as well.
