Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics Program (Postgraduate) (S407)
Apply Now:
Domestic Students
Program Description
Leadership Claims
Preparing graduates in clinical methods in orthotics/prosthetics for 45 years. This program is unique in Ontario.
Program Overview
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics (Postgraduate) is a joint program with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and other facilities that teaches you how to assess and fit patients with artificial limbs, braces and splints. This program is unique in Ontario.
Full Description
The two-year Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics (Postgraduate) (S407) program will train you to make and fit prostheses (artificial limbs) and orthoses (braces and splints).
This full-time graduate certificate program is unique in Ontario and is taught at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre by faculty currently working in the field.
Classes start in September only. International, part-time, winter and summer start options are not available.
Applications must be submitted to Ontario Colleges by February 1 of each year.
As this is a post-degree program, to be eligible to apply, you must have a four-year B.Sc. degree from an accredited institution. A four-year degree in engineering or kinesiology will be considered.
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics accepts eight students into the program.
This program provide you with the theory, laboratory and clinical experiences you need under the direction of faculty who are certified prosthetists/orthotists at:
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre (Hamilton)
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- The Hospital for Sick Children
- Prosthetic Energy (PBO Group)
- OrthoProActive Consultants Inc.
- Custom Orthotic Design
Apply to this program if you have a background in health sciences and are interested in working with people to help their attempts to overcome disabilities.
Upon graduation, you will be eligible for certification by Orthotics Prosthetics Canada (formerly the “Canadian Board of Certification”).
Statistical Information
Students per class: 8
Classes running per year: 2
Attrition (past five years): 0
Employment record: 95 per cent or better
Program Selection Process
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics is a postgraduate program open to applicants with a specific degree, as outlined in the admission requirements.
The selection of students involves a two-step procedure:
i) Eligible applicants will be invited to take an online entrance exam involving subjects covering biology (anatomy, physiology, pathology), biophysics and biomechanics, spatial relations, and prosthetics and orthotics knowledge.
Testing will be available on Saturday, February 22 or Sunday, February 23, 2025. Login window between 12 p.m.–1 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time). Students will have three hours to complete the entrance exam. Scheduling and arrangements for this testing will be done via the email applicants submitted when registering with Ontario Colleges.
ii) The top 18 ranked students from the entrance exam will be invited to an online video interview the week of March 3, 2025. The top 18 ranked applicants may have two letters of reference emailed to applicant_info@gbcpando.com no later than Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Online interviews will run from Monday, March 10, to Sunday, March 16, 2025.
Your Field Education Options
The on-site and off-site clinical experience in this Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics program plays an essential role in preparing you for the real work ahead.
During the Clinical Techniques classes each semester, you will have the chance to work directly with clients who require prosthetic/orthotic treatment. Provision and evaluation of treatment will be unique to suit each client’s individual needs.
Treatment will include:
- an assessment
- measurements
- shape-capture by hand
- scanning and rectification of plaster and digital positive models
Design and fabrication of the prosthetic/orthotic devices take place in the laboratory procedures courses.
On-site Grand Rounds sessions are held monthly and will require you to give a monthly presentation on a related topic to a group of faculty, students and sector partners. For details about Grand Rounds, please visit this link to their website.
Since 1979, the Prosthetic & Orthotic programs have required students to present various topics in a more formalized setting to try to enhance their presentation skills and to encourage them to continue this activity into their professional lives. These sessions normally take place on the evening of the first Tuesday of every month. Both venues are located in the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. We welcome anyone interested to please attend the sessions.
The strength of the program is the structured clinical education provided by various clinical settings. In conjunction with the curriculum changes made over the years, there are many clinical facilities and practitioners participating to deliver the various segments of the program.
PLEASE NOTE: As a student in this program, you will be required to travel to the various hospitals and clinics in the program by either personal or public transportation.
Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities
Educational Pathways
The Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics program follows a co-operative curriculum model with McMaster University’s Masters of Science program in Rehabilitation Science.
If you are a student who elects to pursue both credentials, you will be responsible for all fees at both institutions. For more information, see the Prosthetics and Orthotics programs website.
3,450-Hour Residency:
- Upon successful completion of the program, graduates enter a 3,450-hour residency program (under the auspices of Orthotics Prosthetics Canada, in either orthotics or prosthetics.
- The residency is conducted under the supervision of a certified practitioner.
- Upon completion of the residency, graduates are eligible to sit for CBCPO certification exams operated by Orthotics Prosthetics Canada in the discipline in which they have completed (either orthotics or prosthetics).
- For more details about the requirements of becoming a certified clinician, please visit Orthotics Prosthetics Canada.
Alumni Impact
We are immensely proud of the contributions of our alumni in Toronto and around the globe.
From Michelin-starred restaurants to major construction, entertainment, community and financial organizations, our graduates are truly making an impact across a range of industries.
Courses
Required Courses
Semester 1
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ANAT 1017 | Anatomy for Orthotics/Prosthetics I |
| KINE 1002 | Kinesiology and Biomechanics I |
| ORTH 1001 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory I |
| ORTH 1002 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques I |
| ORTH 1005 | Laboratory Procedures I |
Semester 2
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ANAT 1018 | Anatomy for Orthotics/Prosthetics II |
| ORTH 1003 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory II |
| ORTH 1004 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques II |
| ORTH 1006 | Laboratory Procedures II |
| PHSL 1003 | Physiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics |
Semester 3
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| KINE 2001 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Case Studies |
| ORTH 2003 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory III |
| ORTH 2004 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques III |
| ORTH 2007 | Laboratory Procedures III |
| PATH 2003 | Pathophysiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics I |
Semester 4
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ORTH 2001 | Practice Management and Professional Issues in Orthotics/Prosthetics |
| ORTH 2005 | Powered Prosthetics |
| ORTH 2006 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques IV |
| ORTH 2008 | Laboratory Procedures IV |
| ORTH 2018 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory IV |
| PATH 2004 | Pathophysiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics II |
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Gather and assimilate information about a patient through medical records, prosthetic/orthotic history, patient's comments and clinical examination, and be sensitive to the implications of the relevant information.
- Recognize patient conditions requiring medical/health care beyond the scope of orthotic and prosthetic practice.
- Based on the appropriate prescription, design and articulate a prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan based upon the prescription received and assessment made of the patient and, when necessary, in communication with various members of the health-care team.
- Analyze information concerning the proposed prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan and forecast the success of the appliance in terms of clinical principles and the patient's disability/pathology and expectations.
- Obtain all appropriate measurements, casts, layouts, etc., necessary to proceed with the prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan.
- Perform and prepare all the appropriate positive cast modifications, layout adjustments and other procedures necessary to proceed with the fabrication of the prosthetic/orthotic appliance.
- Formulate and fabricate prosthetic/orthotic appliances utilizing knowledge of the appropriate prosthetic/orthotic materials and employing prescribed and accepted laboratory procedures.
- Perform patient fittings of the appropriate prosthetic/orthotic devices, including static and dynamic alignments, evaluating the appliance on the patient, instructing the patient in its use.
- Perform reassessments, adjustments or replacements of the prosthetic/orthotic appliance, in consultation with the referring physician, as the patient's age, physical condition or lifestyle change.
- Keep abreast of new developments concerning prosthetic and orthotic care.
- Maintain organized patient records, encompassing all pertinent information relating to the ongoing prosthetic/orthotic treatment.
- Identify and relate to the various health-care resources that are available to the prosthetist/orthotist and his or her patients.
- Appreciate the roles that the prosthetic/orthotic professional bodies play in the maintenance of standards and the development of the profession and to be willing to contribute toward its advancement.
Tuition & Fees
Domestic Tuition
Additional Costs
* Amounts listed are the estimated total of tuition, materials, student service and ancillary fees for the first two semesters of programs starting in Fall 2024. Fees are subject to change for programs starting in Fall 2025 and at later dates. This fee does not include books or tools which are to be purchased by the student separately.
This program does not accept international students.
Please note that Manitoba-based students will have certain specific ancillary fee charges removed prior to program registration.
Financial Assistance
This program is approved for OSAP funding, provided the applicant meets OSAP eligibility criteria.
Each year we award over $2 million dollars in scholarships, awards and bursaries to first-year students. Check out our financial aid web pages for ways to pay for college and the full list of available scholarships, awards and bursaries.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is subject to change without notice. It should not be viewed as a representation, offer or warranty. Students are responsible for verifying George Brown College fee requirements.
Admission Requirements
This program is available to domestic applicants only.
- Four-year Bachelor of Science degree. A four-year degree in engineering or kinesiology will be considered.
- Courses in anatomy, biomechanics and gait, human physiology and pathology, and rehabilitation sciences are preferred
- Transcripts for all post-secondary academic work (in progress or complete) must be submitted
- Departmental review, which will include:
- online entrance exam
- submission of two reference letters
- program-specific admissions assessment via video interview, designed to allow applicants to demonstrate their aptitude for developing the necessary applied and interpersonal skills essential to holistic clinical care*.
- For more information, please visit the Clinical Methods in Orthotics & Prosthetic page.
Please note:
- Only eligible applicants who meet the academic requirements will be invited to complete a written entrance exam. The top ranked applicants are then invited to submit two reference letters and attend the next stage of the admissions process.
*Video interview results are only applicable for one academic cycle. Applicants who reapply must take the interview again, regardless of their previous result.
This program is highly competitive and space is limited. There are eight seats available.
A total of eight applicants, in order of admissions ranking, will be invited to accept clinical positions.
Please also note: Students will be required to travel to various hospitals and clinics associated with the program throughout the week. Students are required to arrange their own transportation.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants with international transcripts who do not provide English proficiency test results must test at the College level in the George Brown College English assessment to be considered for admission.
Find out more about English proficiency requirements.
How to Apply
Domestic students should apply through Ontario Colleges.
Contact Us
Phone: 416-480-5783. Please leave a message at this number.
Email: applicant_info@gbcpando.com
Visit the program website at georgebrown.ca/prostheticsorthotics
For more information about George Brown College, you may also call the Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 or long distance 1-800-265-2002.
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics Program (Postgraduate) (S407)
Apply Now:
Domestic StudentsProgram Description
Leadership Claims
Preparing graduates in clinical methods in orthotics/prosthetics for nearly 40 years. This program is unique in Ontario.
Program Overview
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics (Postgraduate) is a joint program with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and other facilities that teaches you how to assess and fit patients with artificial limbs, braces and splints. This program is unique in Ontario.
Full Description
The two-year Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics (Postgraduate) (S407) program trains students to make and fit prostheses (artificial limbs) and orthoses (braces and splints).
This full-time graduate certificate program is unique in Ontario and is taught at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre by faculty currently working in the field.
Classes start in September only. International, part-time, winter and summer start options are not available.
Applications must be submitted to Ontario Colleges by February 1 of each year.
As this is a post-degree program, all applicants must have a four-year B.Sc. degree from an accredited institution. A four-year degree in engineering or kinesiology will be considered.
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics accepts eight students into the program.
The program allows students to obtain theory, laboratory and clinical experiences under the direction of faculty who are certified prosthetists/orthotists at:
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre (Hamilton)
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- The Hospital for Sick Children
- Prosthetic Energy (PBO Group)
- OrthoProActive Consultants Inc.
- Custom Orthotic Design
This program will appeal to students who have a background in health sciences and are interested in working with people and helping patients in their attempts to overcome disabilities.
Graduates will be eligible for certification by Orthotics Prosthetics Canada (formerly the “Canadian Board of Certification”).
Statistical Information
Students per class: 8
Classes running per year: 2
Attrition (past five years): 0
Employment record: 95 per cent or better
Program Selection Process
Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics is a postgraduate program open to applicants with a specific degree, as outlined in the admission requirements.
The selection of students involves a two-step procedure:
i) Eligible applicants will be invited to take an online entrance exam involving subjects covering biology (anatomy, physiology, pathology), biophysics and biomechanics, spatial relations, and prosthetics and orthotics knowledge.
Testing will be available on Saturday, February 24 or Sunday, February 25, 2024. Login window between 12 p.m.–1p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time). Students will have three hours to complete the entrance exam. Scheduling and arrangements for this testing will be done via the email applicants submitted when registering with Ontario Colleges.
ii) The top 18 ranked students from the entrance exam will be invited to an online video interview after Friday, March 8, 2024. The top 18 ranked applicants may have two letters of reference emailed to applicant_info@gbcpando.com no later than Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Online interviews will run from Saturday, March 9, to Friday, March 15, 2024.
Your Field Education Options
The on-site and off-site clinical experience in this Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics program plays an essential role in preparing students for the real work ahead.
During the Clinical Techniques classes each semester, students will have the chance to work directly with clients who require prosthetic/orthotic treatment. Provision and evaluation of treatment will be unique to suit each client’s individual needs.
Treatment will include:
- an assessment
- measurements
- shape-capture by hand
- scanning and rectification of plaster and digital positive models
Design and fabrication of the prosthetic/orthotic devices take place in the laboratory procedures courses.
On-site Grand Rounds sessions are held monthly and require students to give a monthly presentation on a related topic to a group of faculty, students and sector partners. For details about Grand Rounds, please visit this link to their website.
Since 1979, the Prosthetic & Orthotic programs have required students to present various topics in a more formalized setting to try to enhance their presentation skills and to encourage them to continue this activity into their professional lives. These sessions normally take place on the evening of the first Tuesday of every month. Both venues are located in the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. We welcome anyone interested to please attend the sessions.
The strength of the program is the structured clinical education provided by various clinical settings. In conjunction with the curriculum changes made over the years, there are many clinical facilities and practitioners participating to deliver the various segments of the program.
PLEASE NOTE: Students are responsible to travel to the various hospitals and clinics in the program by either personal or public transportation.
Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities
Educational Pathways
The Clinical Methods in Orthotics/Prosthetics program follows a co-operative curriculum model with McMaster University’s Masters of Science program in Rehabilitation Science.
Students who elect to pursue both credentials are responsible for all fees at both institutions. For more information, see the Prosthetics and Orthotics programs website.
3,450-Hour Residency:
- Upon successful completion of the program, graduates enter a 3,450-hour residency program (under the auspices of Orthotics Prosthetics Canada, in either orthotics or prosthetics.
- The residency is conducted under the supervision of a certified practitioner.
- Upon completion of the residency, graduates are eligible to sit for CBCPO certification exams operated by Orthotics Prosthetics Canada in the discipline in which they have completed (either orthotics or prosthetics).
- For more details about the requirements of becoming a certified clinician, please visit Orthotics Prosthetics Canada.
Graduates of a health sciences program who have an interest in working in long-term care facilities should consider applying to our Interprofessional Complex and Long-Term Care (S417) postgraduate certificate.
(S417) program details:
- two-semester program
- will teach you to co-ordinate and manage an interprofessional health-care team of complex and long-term care professionals
- delivered online and on-demand to accommodate working professionals
- includes a clinical field placement component
Alumni Impact
We are immensely proud of the contributions of our alumni in Toronto and around the globe.
From Michelin-starred restaurants to major construction, entertainment, community and financial organizations, our graduates are truly making an impact across a range of industries.
Courses
Required Courses
SEMESTER 1
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ANAT 1017 | Anatomy for Orthotics/Prosthetics I |
| ORTH 1001 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory I |
| ORTH 1005 | Laboratory Procedures I |
| ORTH 1002 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques I |
| KINE 1002 | Kinesiology and Biomechanics I |
SEMESTER 2
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ANAT 1018 | Anatomy for Orthotics/Prosthetics II |
| ORTH 1003 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory II |
| ORTH 1004 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques II |
| ORTH 1006 | Laboratory Procedures II |
| PHSL 1003 | Physiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics |
SEMESTER 3
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| KINE 2001 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Case Studies |
| ORTH 2003 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory III |
| ORTH 2004 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques III |
| ORTH 2007 | Laboratory Procedures III |
| PATH 2003 | Pathophysiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics I |
SEMESTER 4
| Code | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ORTH 2018 | Orthotics/Prosthetics Clinical Theory IV |
| ORTH 2008 | Laboratory Procedures IV |
| ORTH 2006 | Applied Orthotic/Prosthetic Techniques IV |
| ORTH 2001 | Practice Management and Professional Issues in Orthotics/Prosthetics |
| PATH 2004 | Pathophysiology for Orthotics/Prosthetics II |
| ORTH 2005 | Powered Prosthetics |
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Gather and assimilate information about a patient through medical records, prosthetic/orthotic history, patient's comments and clinical examination, and be sensitive to the implications of the relevant information.
- Recognize patient conditions requiring medical/health care beyond the scope of orthotic and prosthetic practice.
- Based on the appropriate prescription, design and articulate a prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan based upon the prescription received and assessment made of the patient and, when necessary, in communication with various members of the health-care team.
- Analyze information concerning the proposed prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan and forecast the success of the appliance in terms of clinical principles and the patient's disability/pathology and expectations.
- Obtain all appropriate measurements, casts, layouts, etc., necessary to proceed with the prosthetic/orthotic treatment plan.
- Perform and prepare all the appropriate positive cast modifications, layout adjustments and other procedures necessary to proceed with the fabrication of the prosthetic/orthotic appliance.
- Formulate and fabricate prosthetic/orthotic appliances utilizing knowledge of the appropriate prosthetic/orthotic materials and employing prescribed and accepted laboratory procedures.
- Perform patient fittings of the appropriate prosthetic/orthotic devices, including static and dynamic alignments, evaluating the appliance on the patient, instructing the patient in its use.
- Perform reassessments, adjustments or replacements of the prosthetic/orthotic appliance, in consultation with the referring physician, as the patient's age, physical condition or lifestyle change.
- Keep abreast of new developments concerning prosthetic and orthotic care.
- Maintain organized patient records, encompassing all pertinent information relating to the ongoing prosthetic/orthotic treatment.
- Identify and relate to the various health-care resources that are available to the prosthetist/orthotist and his or her patients.
- Appreciate the roles that the prosthetic/orthotic professional bodies play in the maintenance of standards and the development of the profession and to be willing to contribute toward its advancement.
Tuition & Fees
Domestic Tuition
Additional Costs
* Amounts listed are the estimated total of tuition, materials, student service and ancillary fees for the first two semesters of programs starting in Fall 2023. Fees are subject to change for programs starting in Fall 2024 and at later dates. This fee does not include books or tools which are to be purchased by the student separately.
This program does not accept international students.
Please note that Manitoba-based students will have certain specific ancillary fee charges removed prior to program registration.
Financial Assistance
This program is approved for OSAP funding, provided the applicant meets OSAP eligibility criteria.
Each year we award over $2 million dollars in scholarships, awards and bursaries to first-year students. Check out our financial aid webpages for ways to pay for college and the full list of available scholarships, awards and bursaries.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is subject to change without notice. It should not be viewed as a representation, offer or warranty. Students are responsible for verifying George Brown College fee requirements.
Admission Requirements
This program is available to domestic applicants only.
- Four-year Bachelor of Science degree. A four-year degree in Engineering or Kinesiology will be considered.
- Courses in Anatomy, Biomechanics and Gait, Human Physiology and Pathology, and Rehabilitation Sciences are preferred
- Transcripts for all post-secondary academic work (in progress or complete) must be submitted
- Departmental review, which will include:
- online entrance exam
- submission of two reference letters
- program-specific admissions assessment via video interview, designed to allow applicants to demonstrate their aptitude for developing the necessary applied and interpersonal skills essential to holistic clinical care*.
- For more information, please visit the Clinical Methods in Orthotics & Prosthetic page.
Please note:
- Only eligible applicants who meet the academic requirements will be invited to complete a written entrance exam. The top ranked applicants are then invited to submit two reference letters and attend the next stage of the admissions process.
*Video interview results are only applicable for one academic cycle. Applicants who reapply must take the interview again, regardless of their previous result.
This program is highly competitive and space is limited. There are 8 seats available.
A total of eight applicants, in order of admissions ranking, will be invited to accept clinical positions.
Please also note: Students will be required to travel to various hospitals and clinics associated with the program throughout the week. Students are required to arrange their own transportation.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants with international transcripts who do not provide English proficiency test results must test at the College level in the George Brown College English assessment to be considered for admission.
Find out more about English proficiency requirements.
How to Apply
Domestic students should apply through Ontario Colleges.
Contact Us
Phone: 416-480-5783. Please leave a message at this number.
Email: applicant_info@gbcpando.com
Visit the program website at georgebrown.ca/prostheticsorthotics
For more information about George Brown College, you may also call the Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 or long distance 1-800-265-2002.
