This profession is about the professional manufacture of prostheses and bandages , which are made of different materials for people with disabilities. Orthopedic mechanics and bandages work as craftsmen and require a high level of manual skills, but they also work together with the customer and the prostheses and bandages then have to fit.

Personal requirements at work

The profession of orthopedic mechanic and bandagist makes various personal demands, as intensive manual work has to be combined with customer care , which is sometimes not easy. First and foremost, there must be a certain talent for craftsmanship and technique and there should be a desire to work with a wide variety of materials and to shape and design them correctly. Mathematical understanding and good handling of numbers is also important, since the calculations must always be accurate. Last but not least, it is important to be able to deal well with people and to be able to listen well - because many customers have special stories in this profession and a lot of empathy is necessary.

Prerequisites for the job / training / studies

In addition to dealing well with customers and a comprehensive technical and manual understanding, the school leaving certificate is also important for the profession of orthopedic mechanic and bandagist. In most cases, graduates with an intermediate school leaving certificate are hired, with around a third of all trainees recently having a university entrance qualification. Good results in various subjects such as mathematics and handicrafts or technology are also an advantage in order to be accepted into the apprenticeship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zls0HcVrm1o

The training / the qualification

Normally, the training as an orthopedic mechanic and bandagist lasts 3 ½ years . However, a reduction is possible if either very good work results and school performance are achieved or if training in a craft trade has already been completed that can be applied to the training or is useful in this trade. This training is done in the often customary dual system, which means that part takes place in the vocational school and part in the company. The theoretical knowledge about the production of bandages and prostheses can be applied directly in practice due to these changing locations. The content of the training includes, on the one hand, all the manual steps required to manufacture bandages and prostheses and, on the other hand, advising customers with a handicap, which must be done carefully. The materials to be used are also considered in more detail in the training and the correct application is taught. All in all, it is a very varied apprenticeship with many different focal points. At the end of the training as an orthopedic mechanic and bandagist there is a journeyman's examination, but before that an intermediate examination must be passed. In the journeyman's examination, knowledge is not only tested orally and in writing, but also journeyman's pieces have to be produced independently. These must be professionally manufactured and correspond exactly to the wishes and specifications.

locations

Orthopedic mechanics and bandagists work mainly in larger industrial companies, where medical aids and prostheses are also manufactured. However, numerous larger medical supply stores also have their own workshops, so that these are also suitable places to work and usually require specialists who can manufacture prostheses and bandages, but who can also give customers professional advice.

career development opportunities

After training as an orthopedic mechanic and bandagist, there are various possible paths up the career ladder. One option would be to do the master's degree and thus specialize further by taking a master's examination. Another possible further training would be as a technician in the field of medicine or business. After passing the journeyman's examination, this further training requires around one to two years of professional experience. However, there are also various courses that are possible and make sense in this area. For example, a degree in materials engineering or technical orthopedics - since there will always be people with a handicap and they need prostheses and special bandages, specialists as orthopedic mechanics and bandagists are also needed.

The everyday life of the orthopedic mechanic and bandagist

The everyday life of an orthopedic mechanic and bandagist is very varied, as many different tasks have to be mastered. The main work consists in making bandages and prostheses, using different materials and the work must always be carried out very carefully according to the measurements and calculations made. In addition, there are sometimes external appointments or customer appointments in the house, which have to be advised - often a plaster cast has to be made so that the prosthesis can be made correctly at all. In addition to the careful handling of customers, everyday work in this profession is primarily dependent on the manual activities, which make up by far the largest part of the profession.

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• Orthopädiemechaniker und Bandagisten