How you cope with workplace bullying
From basic course to journeyman exam - the path to becoming a qualified orthotist step by step
If you want to be an orthopedist, you should expect a course that can stretch up to 4 years and 6 months. It is a classical vocational education (VET) where you alternate between going to school and working in a company - a bandage shop or an orthopedic company. It is precisely the alternation that makes you skilled: the theory from school only really makes sense when you stand with a patient's impression in your hands.
§The basic course: your gateway to the trade
If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade of primary school, you start on basic course 1. Here you work broadly with competencies that are common to the entire main area, and you find out if a practical craft education is for you. Basic course 1 typically lasts half a school year.
Then comes basic course 2 which is targeted at the orthotist trade itself. Here you meet for the first time the subjects that bear the education: material understanding anatomy and physiology biomechanics and an introduction to orthotics and prosthetics. You also learn to use machinery safely and to work with geometry and CAD. If you started later than directly from primary school you can skip basic course 1 and begin on basic course 2.
| Phase. | What's happening | Approximate duration |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Broad, basic competencies for the main area (typically directly from compulsory school) | A half school year |
| Basic course 2 | Trade-targeted teaching pointing toward orthotist craft. | A half school year |
| Main course | Alternation between school stays and company training | Op til ca. 4 år |
§The main course: school and practical work in rhythm
The main course itself is where you really build the trade up. It alternates between periods at the company and several school stays where you gather with your classmates and go into depth with the professional material. The school stays are distributed over several blocks throughout the course so you can continuously take new knowledge back to the workplace.
During school periods, you work with, among other things, material and form understanding, anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, fine mechanics, production of orthoses and prostheses, thermal joining, and the topic of disability and society. You also have basic subjects like technology and foreign languages. It is a versatile education where you must both be able to think technically and understand the person the aid is to fit.
§Admission and access requirements
To start you must have completed primary school and there is an entry requirement of at least 2.0 on average in both Danish and mathematics from the leaving exams. If you don't meet the requirement you can among other things come to an entrance exam and interview at the school. If you come from the job market or have another background different entry routes apply — contact the school's guidance so you find the right way.
§The journeyman's exam concludes everything
The course culminates in a journeyman's exam where you must demonstrate both practical craftsmanship and professional knowledge. You must design and produce an orthopaedic product and document your considerations in a project report. If you pass, you are a qualified orthotist — and ready to work independently in the industry.
“The alternation between school and workshop is not an obstacle - it is the whole point. That is where theory becomes craftsmanship.”