The BCM Orthotics and Prosthetics Program is focused on contributing to the global community of O&P clinicians, educators, and researchers devoted to advancing the profession. We firmly believe in equipping our students to engage in evidence-based practice and contribute to the scientific literature. Each year, BCM faculty, residents, and graduates contribute to the program by striving for excellence in scientific research.
During the first year of the program, students learn from and collaborate with our distinguished faculty and discover the variety of research opportunities available to them. Once students identify their interests, they immediately join in literature review and ongoing research lab group meetings to begin their master’s thesis projects. Students are well-prepared to take on these projects through the Health Research Methods course taken during the first year of the curriculum. Students make progress on the research project throughout the clinical residency with the support of their research mentor and the orthotic and prosthetic research courses.
The projects culminate with a poster presentation competition, elevator pitch, and submission of the master’s thesis prior to graduation. Many BCM graduates have gone on to present their research at national meetings, receive awards for their research, and submit and publish their master’s thesis to peer-reviewed journals.
Please check out each faculty member's profile to see examples of presentations and publications which feature student research.
O&P Research Program Learning Outcomes
- Clearly define a research question based upon available evidence
- Identify variables and study designs according to the research question
- Conduct a literature review via online database search
- Assess peer-reviewed literature to determine its relevance and relationship to the research question
- Evaluate the appropriateness of a given research design in relation to a research question
- Synthesize literature to provide evidence for study and evaluation of findings
- Apply research findings to clinical practice as a prosthetist-orthotist
- Communicate research justification, methods, data analysis, results, discussion, and conclusion in oral, visual, and written formats
- Identify and execute methods to maintain human subjects’ rights, welfare, and information privacy when needed
- Communicate in a timely and effective manner with members of the research team to create and implement a plan to complete thesis