A group of Egyptian prosthetics and orthotics graduates has completed a one-year practical training programme with Ottobock after earning bachelor’s degrees from Egyptian universities. A further cohort of 25 trainees is expected to follow, according to P&O consultant Youssef Salam, who congratulated the graduates in a recent post. LinkedIn
Salam’s account of the year focused as much on the transition into patient-facing work as on technical learning. He described trainees developing analytical skills, teamwork and time management while gaining confidence in fitting patients. They learned from attempts that did not work, adjusted their approach and came to take pride in successful outcomes.
That progression matters in prosthetics and orthotics. A bachelor’s degree provides the foundation for clinical practice, but a new graduate still has to apply that knowledge with a person in front of them. Assessment findings must become a fitting plan. A device that looks sound in the workshop must be checked with its user, adjusted and reviewed. Those steps call for technical judgement, communication and the confidence to ask for help when needed.
Salam was candid about the effort involved. His description included difficult fittings, setbacks and emotional moments alongside the trainees’ achievements. It is a useful reminder that practical training should give graduates room to learn from mistakes under supervision. Confidence grows through repeated decisions, feedback and seeing how changes to a device affect the person using it.
Training within a wider Egyptian P&O effort
Salam thanked the P&O unit operating under an Egyptian presidential decree for the training initiative. The post did not give further details of that unit’s role or the structure of the next cohort, so the trainees’ completion should be understood on the terms he reported. LinkedIn
The milestone comes as Egypt pursues a broader plan for prosthetic and assistive-device services. In January 2026, the Egyptian Presidency said that the first phase of a project for seven assembly and alignment centres was underway in partnership with Ottobock and Egyptian public bodies. The statement also set out an ambition to develop domestic manufacturing capacity supported by trained Egyptian personnel. It did not identify the graduates in Salam’s post as participants in that seven-centre project. presidency.eg
For the O&P sector, the connection is a practical one: expanding facilities and equipment also requires clinicians and technicians who can deliver safe, effective fittings. A sustained route from university education into supervised practice could help build that workforce, provided trainees receive the time, mentoring and patient exposure needed to develop sound clinical judgement.
The announcement of another 25 trainees suggests the practical programme is continuing. The achievement for the graduates is already clear: they have completed a year devoted to turning academic learning into hands-on experience. The next measure of success will be how that experience supports their work with patients as their careers develop.