Orthotics and Prosthetics Residencies

Gillette Children’s is a non-profit hospital dedicated to providing specialized healthcare to children and adults with complex and rare medical conditions. We’re located in St. Paul, Minnesota and in multiple locations throughout the state. Our clinics provide team-based, specialty care for persons with childhood onset neuromuscular and orthopedic disorders. Our prosthetists and orthotists work closely with physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and others on the healthcare team in both inpatient and outpatient settings to provide exceptional, coordinated patient care. Our pediatric hospital is unique in that we provide life-long care to our patients. This means that residents working with our O&P team see and treat a wide variety of ages (infants, pediatrics, adults, and geriatrics), diagnoses and complexities that often require creative orthotic/prosthetic solutions.

We view O&P residency as an extension of learning. Therefore, we focus on the resident’s clinical learning needs and goals to prepare them for independent practice. During the first few weeks of orientation, residents familiarize themselves with our systems and complete practice projects used to assess current skills and areas for improvement. This helps orient and focus learning objectives for the first quarter. Initially, residents work at one to two metro area sites with specific mentors focused on helping them move from observing to assisting and/or relative autonomy. This will typically be done by taking specific patient projects start through finish and follow-up under mentor/technician supervision. These skills will continue to be built upon during subsequent quarters as the resident develops greater relative autonomy and completes their competencies. Throughout this progress, we focus opportunities for the resident to continue to grow and learn as a clinician. Residents ultimately will rotate between three locations in the metro area (St. Paul Main Campus, St. Paul Phalen Adult, and Burnsville) with specific aims for learning at each site. 

Additional learning opportunities may include, but are not limited to: 

• Completing specific orthoses/prostheses through all clinical and technical aspects  
• Communicating with our in-house central fabrication technicians 
• Routine feedback from mentors and expectation of self-assessment after patient interactions 
• Participation in multi-disciplinary clinics 
• Participation in multi-organizational O&P focused journal club 
• Observation of data collection and analysis in the gait laboratory 
• Possible observation of amputation, limb, and/or spinal surgeries  
• Discussion with our clinical psychologist to learn ways to mitigate challenging patient care situations  
• Regular didactic quizzing and use of various practice models to augment learning 

Starting in 2022 we will only be offering a 24-mos combined O&P residency with a research track. We are expanding our residency so that we consistently have two residents who are offset by 12 months.  

Gillette provides a competitive total rewards package and flexible workplace to help you balance your personal and financial needs—now and in the future.  

• Medical, Dental, Vision, & Life Insurance 
• Health Savings Account & Flexible Spending Account 
• Matched Retirement/403(b) Savings Plan & Tuition Reimbursement 
• Paid Time Off 
• Legal Services, MERSC Discounts, and much more 

Although we cannot guarantee employment with us post-residency, we do work hard to create such opportunities. Between 2002 and 2022 we trained 20 residents and retained 90% of them as employees. This continues to be our goal. 

We are accepting applications via OPRESCAS for our 24-mos combined O&P residency through December 8, 2023 for a start date in Summer 2024. Interviews will be held in January 2024 and announcement in February 2024 in coordination with other institutional-based O&P practices. Applicants are strongly encouraged to thoroughly read all information on our OPRESCAS page before applying. More information here.

To learn more about the orthotics and prosthetics residency program, contact O&P Residency Director Michelle Hall, Michelle Hall, MS, CPO, LPO, FAAOP(D) – mjhall@gillettechildrens.com / 651-638-4735

You can also learn more about orthotics and prosthetics at Gillette.