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Orthotist & Prosthetist

Healthcare

Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.

Allied HealthMechanical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
  2. 2Instruct patients in the use and care of orthoses and prostheses.
  3. 3Maintain patients' records.
  4. 4Examine, interview, and measure patients to determine their appliance needs and to identify factors that could affect appliance fit.
  5. 5Select materials and components to be used, based on device design.
  6. 6Design orthopedic and prosthetic devices, based on physicians' prescriptions and examination and measurement of patients.
  7. 7Repair, rebuild, and modify prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.
  8. 8Construct and fabricate appliances, or supervise others constructing the appliances.
  9. 9Make and modify plaster casts of areas to be fitted with prostheses or orthoses to guide the device construction process.
  10. 10Confer with physicians to formulate specifications and prescriptions for orthopedic or prosthetic devices.
  11. 11Show and explain orthopedic and prosthetic appliances to healthcare workers.
  12. 12Train and supervise support staff, such as orthopedic and prosthetic assistants and technicians.
  13. 13Update skills and knowledge by attending conferences and seminars.
  14. 14Research new ways to construct and use orthopedic and prosthetic devices.
  15. 15Publish research findings or present them at conferences and seminars.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • CO
  • CP
  • CPO
  • LPO
  • Orthotist
  • Pedorthist
  • Prosthetist
  • ABC Orthotist
  • Orthotic Tech
  • Board Orthotist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationMaster's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BiologyDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Visual Art (PSV)Draws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Technical Comm. GraphicsDraws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service91%
  • Medicine and Dentistry86%

    BiologyChemistry

  • Design79%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Therapy and Counseling79%

    BiologySports Science

  • English Language77%

    English

  • Psychology77%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Medical Laboratory Technologist

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Orthotists and Prosthetists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org