M.E. seeking O&P career advice

M.E. seeking O&P career advice

Omark, Shannon

7/31/1998

Hi. I have wanted to get into the Orthotics and Prosthetics industry
for a long time. I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and a M.S.
in Management of Technology (aka Engineering Management). I got
interested in prosthetics my last year as an undergrad - my senior
project was a prosthetic arm (3-pronged). It seems so simple now, but
that was 10 years ago.

My career took a different direction from the beginning - I worked as
a mechanical operations engineer for McDonnell Douglas at Kennedy
Space Center for 6 years, and I now work at Intel Corporation as a
Project Manager in Facilities (I have been here for 3 years). I also
have 2 young children, and I have decided to go to work part-time for
probably the next 5 years. I have an opportunity to go to work for a
small construction company here in Phoenix in October, doing project
management and scheduling part-time. But I can't shake this longing
to go into the prosthetics/orthotics world.

It seems like there are a lot of opportunities in the Prosthetics and
Orthotics world. I would like to be a CP or CPO even. The timing may
not be right for that, but I thought maybe I could get into
engineering or possibly sales/marketing.

So, I'm seeking advice from professionals out there. Is there
anything I can get into in a part-time capacity in Arizona? If not,
are there some steps I should be taking now to prepare to break into
the field in about 5 years?

Please reply with any thoughts - I feel that I have been called to do
this and that I have pushed it aside for too long. And if you made it
through this whole message, Thank You!!

Shannon Omark
<Email Address Redacted> or <Email Address Redacted>