This company is marvelous in providing specialized care for scoliosis patients, all of whom are young kids. The Baltimore office is in cohort with the Fairfax central lab for licensed orthotists and was the location my internship was at. I was able to gain skills so far in the lab and with patient interaction and there has been a plethora of information on schooling options for those interested in the field!
What I wish was different
Nothing! As an intern, I've been given a multitude of resources and opportunities in this very niche field.
Advice
Unless you have hand skills in an O+P lab prior to being at the NSC, understand that repetition, learning from mistakes and determinedness are all critical in building them. Become confident in asking questions specifically regarding the understanding of the basics of scoliosis. If you work well with kids, you will be able to help a lot of them at this organization!
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Senior Orthotist Assistant
January 2020 - November 2022 • Fairfax, VA
What I liked
My favorite part about working here was the incredibly dedicated staff and the high level of autonomy they awarded me. I was able to pursue my clinical and educational goals while working full time. The whole team was very supportive of my ideas to help the company grow as well as my personal career ambitions. By the time I was about a year in, I was able to handle certain patient appointments completely independently. All of our summer interns or more long term assistants have matriculated on to higher education e.g. Med school, Prosthetics/Orthotics school.
What I wish was different
This small company is constantly evolving (in a good way). If you aren't somebody who likes to adapt and change this isn't for you. In the three years I was at this company, I have watched it evolve into something really spectacular. The only thing that posed a challenge for my career goals, was that in order to apply to PA school, I would need to have recommendations from advanced practitioners and shadowing hours. Although NSC works closely with the major hospital networks in the region, I had to go outside of the company for those hours. (My employer set me up with a PA to shadow which was really nice).
Advice
This position, as with most things in life, will give you back what you put into it. If you put yourself out there with a growth mindset and a genuine desire to help others, you will find this position to be extremely rewarding. For example, I committed myself to patient education and learning all I could about spinal deformities and was rewarded by joining my team at a Spine conference in Spain!
