You may be greeted by some unfamiliar faces when coming in for your appointment at Northern Orthopedic Laboratory. These faces are those of the orthotic and prosthetic residents that have recently joined our staff and are working towards becoming ABC certified practitioners. In September 2015, Northern Orthopedic Laboratory, Inc. became an accredited residency site, through the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE). The accreditation allows NOL to host and teach residents (recent graduates of Masters of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics programs) who are preparing to take board exams to become certified prosthetists and orthotists. NOL works directly with NCOPE and shares the goal of promoting and raising the standards of education in the field of prosthetics and orthotics. Residents at NOL work directly under the guidance and supervision of Donald Holmes, CPO, NOL Residency Director. Mr. Holmes draws upon his vast experiences in the O& P field to teach each resident the skills required to become a successful practitioner. “The main goal of our residency program is to provide residents with as many learning opportunities as possible. Our practice has a very diverse population of patients in both upper and lower extremity prosthetic and orthotics, each day residents will be exposed to new challenges and learning experiences.” Mr. Holmes said. “I feel that a true residency program aims to develop residents as both caregivers and as competent technicians who have the hand skills required to complete their own adjustments or fabrication, if necessary. I believe our program does a very nice job at accomplishing this.” NOL is not new to hosting residents, in past years NOL has hosted numerous residents who have matriculated to obtain their board certifications and become practitioners. We recognize the importance of residency programs in the development of new practitioners and look forward to contributing to the educational experience. For more information regarding the Northern Orthopedic Laboratory Residency Program, please contact Donald Holmes, CPO, NOL Residency Director at (315) 782-9079.