The Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC), part of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, held a ceremony marking the end of the on-site practicum for the second graduating class of the Masters of Prosthetics and Orthotics (MPO) degree on December 18.
John Michael, MEd, CPO, director of NUPOC, moderated the program and introduced Elliot Roth, ’82 MD, ’85 ’86 GME, chair of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Paul B. Magnuson Professor of Rehabilitation, who welcomed family, friends and faculty to the event.
Diane B. Wayne, ’91 MD, vice dean for Education, addressed the convocation on behalf of the Office of the Dean of Medicine.
“It was a true pleasure to represent Feinberg at this ceremony,” Dr. Wayne said. “It is clear that our graduating students are a committed and tight-knit group. They are skilled, intelligent and will make a tremendous impact on the patients they serve. Sponsoring top-notch education programs is one of the most important things we do and one of the things that makes Feinberg so special.”
The ceremony also recognized awardees in the MPO Class of 2016, including Kate Binder, winner of the Tamarack Award for excellence in orthotics, and Emily Tierney, winner of the Dale Yasukawa Award, a scholarship that supports student participation in meetings of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists. Tierney and Eliana Biel received awards for excellence in their anatomy course.
“It was great to have a ceremony and it was a nice reward for the hard work that our class has put in while in the program,” Binder said. “The recognition to the faculty and the students in this setting was well deserved.”
Jadrianna Sobczak, president of the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Student Society, presented the class address.
“The ceremony was a great way to celebrate such an extraordinary year spent learning about prosthetics and orthotics,” Sobczak said. “It was the culmination of all of our accomplishments throughout the program thus far, and it also provided one last chance for the entire class to be together in one place before many of us leave Chicago. Throughout the year we were surrounded by experts in the field who were more than willing to go out of their way to make sure we had a good grasp on concepts, as well as how to apply them in a clinical setting.”
The class will complete final coursework and submit their capstone research papers in April 2016 before they embark on residency training followed by certification examinations.
“The closing ceremony was a humbling and emotional experience that gathered, in one place, our world-renowned faculty, loved ones and classmates who we have come to know as family,” said Julia Fry, a recent graduate of the Masters of Prosthetics and Orthotics program.
Following the program, Fry will start a dual residency at Independence Prosthetics and Orthotics in Newark, Delaware.
“People who need O&P care are at vulnerable points in their life and deserve consistent, compassionate, relevant and evolving care,” Fry said. “I intend to remain informed and provide such care.”
