Back here in Tampa, Fl as we’ve just begun our third week back at IIOP! So far we’ve fabricated our wrist hand orthoses (WHO’s) and managed to stay Covid-free as we are back in the building where it all started. We’ve been primarily focusing on the upper extremity (which is nice because I was focused on lower all through rotation) and are moving rapidly through our IIOP course material. Friday we wrapped up our MMT and ROM practicals and had our White Coat Ceremony to make it official as we prepare to be health care professionals and search for our next step of residency.

In the weeks to come we will be sharpening our hand skills with fabrication of upper extremity prosthetics, transfemoral prosthetics, and knee-ankle-foot-orthotics. It feels great to be back in Tampa with the boys, and with the 70 degree and sunny weather here in Janurary, I’d say 2021 is off to a great start!!

-BD

Hola! I hope everyone enjoyed their week. Just a quick update because we literally had two days of class because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Thursday and Friday, we were off.

               This week, we ended our introduction to lab skills and material class. It was a fun way to learn about the tools we would be using as O&P practitioners and how to use the tools. The best part of the class was that there weren’t any exams lol. On Tuesday, we got right into it and performed AFO casting on our peers. Remembering what I learned in my first semester of IIOP, I was able to identify the main bony landmarks to be distinguished inside of the cast for later use.  Let me tell you right now, I most definitely like using fiberglass for casting more than paster. The plaster was a struggle to use and my cast fell apart a couple of times. I could have done it all day though because, to be honest, it felt like I was crafting a phenomenal art piece. You can call me Onny Picasso or LeOnny Da Vinci.

               After working hard on my cast, I decided I wanted to take the leg home with me and pull a prank on my roommate. Ahh what a great way to end the week.

See all again next week! 😊

-Onny or LeOnny Da Vinci

Helloooo! Week 1 and we are back in action! I think the upperclassmen hyped me up for this second semester. I heard through the grapevine that the first semester would be the most challenging and so far, they were right. The days are much longer but it goes by fast when you are enjoying it. I think it was funny to see my roommate’s reaction when I told her I had fun in class today. “Say what??? Fun? At school?”

Anyway, this week we got straight to work. From metal bending to creating our own tools like the inside and outside calipers, heel wedges, and even sewing velcro together to fabricate AFO straps. I enjoyed it all. Using the bigger machines like the bandsaw, the workmaster drum, and the dry blaster gave me a bit of the nerves, but after a few hours of learning the techniques and taking my time to get to know the machines, I have become a pro. They look scary but the machines are most definitely safe if used correctly.

Welp, that’s all for now. Can’t wait for next week!

-Onny

Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year will be filled with good health, happiness, and prosperity. My name is Onny Mbagwu and I am the newest edition to the IIOP bloggers team! Firstly, I would like to congratulate all of those who graduated this December 2020, for you all have served as a guide for me and my future success in the O and P field.

I always knew that I wanted to be in the medical field, but I was not sure of where I wanted to be. Being interested in anatomy and psychology, I changed my major from biology to psychology, while also taking pre-medical classes. In almost every one of my psychology classes, the professors talked about Phantom Limb Pain Syndrome. I was beyond fascinated with that topic and began researching more about it. Learning about Phantom Limb, led me to research more about O&P and here I am!

My first semester was as challenging as expected. I think everyone gets a bit nervous because we don’t know how large the coursework is, we don’t know what to expect or what kind of professors we would have. Also, I was in a whole new state and did not know anyone. Although I was coming fresh out of undergrad, you all should know that everything I learned in undergrad has vanished, except for my acquired skills in time management, and Microsoft Office. However, I noticed that even after completing my first semester here, I am able to retain the information that I have learned in all of my classes.  I was lucky to have a great cohort, professors, and upperclassmen who offered their help and allowed me to open up and ask questions about the information that I did not understand or was confused about.

This is just a formal introduction as the newest addition to the bloggers’ team. As you follow the rest of my journey in this program, I hope you all will enjoy reading about my fun-filled experience and education at IIOP and in the O&P world.

-Onny