Ottobock at the ISPO Global Educator's Meeting

Innovation. Collaboration. Education. These were the key themes of the 4th Global Educators Meeting (GEM) organized by the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO). Ottobock’s continued support as a gold sponsor played a crucial role in the event’s success. GEM took place at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

GEM’s mission is an international collaboration of P&O educators, ongoing exchange, professional development, and supportive learning.
Allen Ingersoll from OB US presented how Ottobock supports ISPO’s educational activities through local student internships, training, or sponsorship of educational events. Kyla Lau went into detail on the specific involvement of Ottobock Canada.

Graduate retention emerged as one of the frequently discussed topics throughout the 4-day event. Many young professionals leave the P&O field due to limited chances for professional development, lack of mentorship, or professional recognition. 
The variety of educational opportunites offered by the Ottobock Global Academy and International O&P School (IO&PS) help address the issue. One such initiative, presented by Tereza Lilingova, is the IOPS Alumni Hub. This online platform aims to foster continuous learning, professional exchange, providing a space for a long-term engagement to help retain talent in the O&P industry.

Volker Schmidt (CPO/Trainer at OB Headquarters), who represented Global Academy at the Ottobock booth reflects:
“Connecting with people from different educational organizations was great. Our field is suffering from a shortage of well-educated professionals. We must embrace modern teaching methods and offer an effective learning environment to educate successful clinicians.

Kyla Lau (iFab Manager OB Canada & educator at George Brown College)
“My experience solidified my desire to continue being an educator knowing the impact that I can make on students and the contribution to the growing industry. I was particularly inspired by the innovative student engagement strategies. Discussions on alternative assessment methods and the role of feedback have provided valuable insights that I can apply to improve our assessment practices.” 

Allen Ingersoll (Senior Clinical Specialist, OB US)
“My biggest takeaway was seeing how education is evolving into different digital spaces, yet hands-on care by empathic and technically competent clinicians continues to be highly valued (and under-resourced) all over the world!”

The next GEM will be held in June 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. Check out the GEM website or the ISPO Website to learn more!