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Residency Director/Mentor FAQ

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General Questions

What are the documents that define the standards and requirements for hosting a residency program?

The Orthotic/Prosthetic Residency Standards and Policy and Procedure Manual contain information that define the requirements and guidelines that are relevant to hosting a residency program an accredited residency program.  

I saw that residency programs can now be combined, where the resident develops skills in orthotics and prosthetics simultaneously. Is this the only residency program type?

No.  Residency programs can still offer single discipline residency programs in orthotics or prosthetics.  To learn more about residency program types and tracks, please visit the Residency Program Types and Tracks page.  Please note that a single-discipline residency at least 12 months in length may be necessary to accomodate state licensing requirements.  If you are in a state with O&P license laws, please contact the state department of professional regulations or licensing board to learn if persons pursuing a dual-discipline residency are eligible to become licensed.

What are the fees for becoming a residency program or registering a resident?

All fees relevant to residency programs can be found by visiting the Residency Registration and Accreditation Fees page.

Can a person who received their formal O&P education outside of the US pursue an NCOPE accredited residency program?

It depends on the level of education that the person received.  To learn more about requirements tied to the education and residency eligibility for persons trained outside the US, please visit the Residency for Foreign O&P School Graduates page.  

How do I know when my residency program accreditation is set to expire?

Expiration dates are clearly listed in the email provided at the time of initial accreditation in addition to the certificate provided to verify the program is eligible.  You may also lookup your program within the Residency Program Directory to see the date.

Advertising Residency Positions and Hirings Practices

Do We Need to Advertise Our Residency Positions Via OPRESCAS?

The answer is more than likely, Yes.  If you represent a residency program that is part of the Hanger Clinic, please reach out to the Hanger National Residency Program staff for additional guidance.

We Would Like to Have a Resident Start Immediately After the Graduate, When Do the O&P Schools Typically Graduate Students?

March – Loma Linda University

April – Alabama State University, Eastern Michigan University, Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh

May – California State University: Dominguez Hills, Kennesaw State University

June – Concordia University/Century College, University of Washington

December – Baylor College of Medicine*, University of Texas Southwestern, International Institute of O&P/Florida International University

* This program features an integrated O&P residency program and at the time the degree is conferred, graduates will have completed a CAAHEP accredited academic program and NCOPE accredited dual-discipline residency

NCOPE Tracker

I need an introduction and possibly a crash course in how to use NCOPE Tracker, where might I get that information?

NCOPE Tracker has extensive documentation available on the NCOPE Tracker Info Page, but new users including directors, mentors, and residency will want to watch the Introduction Video by CLICKING HERE.  

We use OPIE Practice Management suite, is there a way the resident can pull data from that system for their NCOPE Tracker case entries?

More than likely, yes.  The key is using OPIE scheduler correctly.  Please see the brief tutorial on How to Use OPIE Scheduler.  If you have any other questions, please contact your OPIE Success Manager.

We use NextGen EMR for documenting patient care. Will this work for outputting data to NCOPE Tracker?

More than likely, yes.  Do remember that the values used within NextGen may not map correctly to NCOPE Tracker, in particular appointment types.  Your resident more than likely will need to manually edit each uploaded encounter appointment type in order to have it reflected correctly within NCOPE Tracker.  For additional guidance on NextGen, please contact the Hanger Clinic IT support team.

Future Directors/Mentors

What are the requirements to become a residency program director or mentor?

Directors and mentors must hold a combination of credentials (certification/licensure), formal O&P education, training, and responsibilities to serve.  This information is summarized on the Eligibility, Roles and Responsibilities page and defined by the Orthotic/Prosthetic Residency Standards under Standard IV: Faculty, Roles and Responsibilities.  

Can I serve as a residency director with a bachelors degree or post-baccalaureate certificate if the resident has a master's degree in orthotics and prosthetics?

Yes, the vast majority of residency directors hold a bachelors level degree or post-baccalaurate certificate.  

I need to complete at least one section of the NCOPE Online Residency Development Course, where do I get information about registering or sign-in?

Please visit the Online Residency Program Development Course landing page to register, sign-in to the Canvas LMS, or learn more about the course.

Where can I learn more about the general requirements for hosting a residency program and view the application?

Please visit the Residency Program Brochure and Application page to learn about the basic requirements defined by the Orthotic/Prosthetic Residency Standards and to begin the application.

Current Directors/Mentors

Where do I complete the required forms for my current resident?

NCOPE Tracker is the tool used to submit all required documentation.

How long does a residency program accreditation last?

All programs that became accredited or renewed their accreditation on or after 7/1/2017 will hold accreditation for a period of 3 years.  To see when a program’s accreditation expires, please visit the Residency Program Directory.

It is time for me to renew my residency program accreditation. Where do I do that?

Our online application can be accessed anytime by visiting: Residency Program Brochure and Application

I am looking for copies of the certificates received when I completed the NCOPE Online Residency Director Training, can you send them to me?

NCOPE does not keep the official digital certificates of completion on file.  In order to access the certificates, they may be in two possible places:

  1. If you completed the course using the Academy’s Online Learning Center (OLC) which hosted the course from its inception until August of 2018, please log in to the Academy Website to obtain copies: AAOP Online Learning Center
  2. If you completed the course using the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), the credentials were issued by Accredible, which has a self-service portal accessible HERE.
Is there anywhere I can look to see what forms need to be completed, who should complete them, and when they are due?

This is covered in Eligibility, Roles and Responsibilities in detail.  You can also run a timeline report that allows you to see what is required each quarter of the residency by CLICKING HERE.  

Do residency programs typically pay for resident registration fees?

More often than not, employers/residency sites do pay the fees.  From July – December of 2020, 92% of residency sites payed the resident’s fees.