ABC/BOC round 2

ABC/BOC round 2

suzanne stauffer

3/10/2004

I still do not feel like studying for the ACB certifying exam, instead I have been reading E-mail posted to the list serve. At first, most of the posting were from ABC practitioners that were upset with ABC for their regression of standards. Yes, I was one of them. But starting about Saturday, a new trend has emerged. BOC Orthotist & Prosthetist have weighed in. This in and of itself would be fine, except most, not all, that I have read have taken this opportunity to say that ABC standards are higher than necessary to be successful in the O&P field. In many instances this has been proven to be so. There are many fine BOC certified/practitioners that do excellent work. One BOC member stated he had been in business for 20+ years owning his own shop. To this I say,congratulation! I hope someday to be as successful. But to say ABC standard are to high and BOC is high enough, sets up the whole field of O&P to fail. How can we as a health profession lobby in front o!
 f Congress and say our field is so specialized and unique, that we should be the sole provider of services, and at the same time say that a lowering of standards in education is warranted? An Associates degree with no specific formal education in orthotics and prosthetics or that two supervised years spent working in the field is enough? How do we explain that PT's, most with Masters or DPT degrees, with specific, formal education in O&P ( I know, I assisted with a CPO to teach a semester to Master level PT students at Western University in Southern California ) that they should be excluded from also providing O&P care. We can't. Higher standard in forced by a legitimate unified governing body is our only hope to achieve what we as a profession so desire, legitimacy.

William S. Stauffer C.O.


suzanne stauffer
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