O&P licensing - use of title CPO

O&P licensing - use of title CPO

Wieland Kaphingst

09/23/99

Mr. Lance Hoxie
Executive Director
American Board for Certification
in Orthotics and Prosthetics, Inc.

Re: Certification Credentials - your public e-mail on the list in response to
David Hendricks' questions

Dear Mr. Hoxie:

I read your letter with serious interest and have now some difficult
questions for you in the end of this letter.

You are probably aware of harmonization (this is the official political
term) in economy, education, industrial standards and a lot of other things
in Europe in the process of European unification.

This process made it necessary about 7-8 years ago to underline the
differences in O&P education on various levels in Europe and to make a
statement in favor of those who are taught, educated and examined at a high
level of O&P education (as for example in Germany).

The Federal School for Orthopedic Technology in Dortmund (one of two high
level O&P schools in Europe - the other one is the NCTEPO @ University of
Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland) for this reason introduced a certificate
for their candidates having passed the exams. These candidates have gone
through a. 3 1/2 years of structured dual education (the German model for O&P
education), b. 4 years of supervised O&P technical and clinical practice, c.
the German Meister exam plus d. an additional year of high level training and
final CPO examination at the Federal School for Orthopedic Technology (>2000
hours). The School introduced the new title and certificate to make a
statement about the difference in qualification - just as ABC did at their
time.

This certificate is offered and printed in three important European languages
(German, English and French) and is called in German Zertifikat für
Prothetik und Orthetik - ZPO (D) ; in English: Certificate for Prosthetics
and Orthotics - CPO (D) and in French: Certificat pour la Prothétique et
l'Orthétique - CPO (D).

It is based on definitions of the Joint Education Committee of ISPO and
INTERBOR (Paris 1988), is compatible with the German regulations of
professional education § 51 HWO, and goes in accordance with the COUNCIL
DIRECTIVE 92/51/EEC of June 18, 1992.

With other words: It is not North American but it is official.

Having earned the title as a CPO (D) by studying and working hard for many
years, just as every US-CPO or CPO ( C) has earned his/her's, I have also
used it in this country since I moved to the US five years ago. I was not
aware that I might have hurt the trade mark law while doing this.

Now my question for you:
In your letter you have not mentioned the delimiters (D) for Deutschland =
Germany.

This is probably why neither AOPA nor AAOP have accepted my official title
CPO (D) when presenting at their conferences in recent years. They did not,
however, discuss this question with me and neither with European or German
officials as far as I know. I didn't care too much so far - but now I want to
know:

Am I really hurting the US trade mark law?
Am I hurting ABC?
What am I supposed to do - in order not to overstep the limitations of the
law - but use my officially and rightfully earned German professional title?

Yours sincerely,

Wieland Kaphingst, B.Sc. Eng. (BMT), OMM, CPO (D)

cc: To the list
cc: Bundesinnungsverband fuer Orthopaedie Technik, Dortmund, Germany
cc: Bundesfachschule fuer Orthopaedie Technik, Dortmund, Germany