Name
Ajaaz Ahmed Zargar
Role
Chairperson – Rehabilitation Technology | Senior Orthotist & Prosthetist
Institution
Country
Saudi Arabia
Years in O&P / Rehabilitation
Over 30 years of experience in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Rehabilitation.
Clinical / Teaching Focus
Complex patient care, mentorship, and structured training, with emphasis on biomechanics, digital workflows, and development of clinical processes and systems.
Main area of interest
AI-Enabled Orthotic Interventions for Diabetic Foot Offloading & Limb Preservation
AI-Enabled Neuro-Orthotic Rehabilitation in Stroke & Cerebral Palsy
What first drew you into prosthetics, orthotics, or rehabilitation?
My journey into this profession began not with a plan, but with curiosity.
There was a time when career choices were explored through conversations rather than online searches. In one such discussion, a friend mentioned that his neighbor was studying a science in Bombay, now Mumbai, focused on making artificial hands and legs. The idea felt almost unreal. The thought that a person who had lost a limb could walk again, and nearly normally, stayed with me.
We waited for him to return during the summer, met him, and spoke in depth. That conversation shaped something in me and led me to the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where my formal education in Orthotics and Prosthetics began. From there, I continued with specialization in prosthetic biomechanics and rehabilitation sciences, followed by a Master’s in Orthotics and Prosthetics and certification through the American Board.
What began as curiosity became a lifelong commitment. Over time, I realized this field is not just about devices, but about enabling people to return to life, and that purpose has kept me committed throughout my career. Every thought is born from curiosity, but only consistency gives it life.
What does your current role involve day to day?
In my current role as Chairperson of Rehabilitation Technology, my work spans clinical oversight, system development, and education. I continue to stay involved in complex patient care, while also guiding teams, supporting clinicians, and mentoring residents. Having worked across both clinical practice and structured residency training environments, I place strong emphasis on maintaining high clinical standards alongside building systems that ensure consistency and efficiency. A significant part of my day also involves integrating digital technologies into practice and aligning services with future needs.
As a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists and an Approved Clinical Mentor with NCOPE, mentorship is central to my role. I spend a significant amount of time guiding clinicians, helping them think rather than simply follow.
How would you describe the mission of your department or programme?
The mission is to deliver reliable, patient centered rehabilitation supported by strong clinical reasoning and structured processes. We aim to provide consistent care while also developing clinicians through mentorship and training. Sustainability and future readiness are key, especially as technology continues to evolve within our field. We may not do great things every day, but by doing small things in a great way, every day, we build a service that truly changes lives.
What has been the most important lesson you have learned as a department head or educator?
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that consistency in outcomes comes from well designed systems, not just individual expertise. Over the years, through clinical practice and mentoring roles, it became clear that even strong clinicians need structured processes and clear pathways to deliver reliable results. Building those systems has been central to my approach. When clinicians begin to think independently and make sound decisions, the system becomes stronger without direct control.
What mistakes or false assumptions taught you the most early in your leadership journey?
Early on, I believed that strong clinical expertise alone would ensure good service delivery. Over time, I realized that execution depends just as much on workflow, communication, and coordination. Even well-made clinical decisions can fall short if the surrounding system is not aligned.
First, become a strong clinician. Your credibility comes from your practice.
Second, develop the habit of asking “why.” That question builds depth.
Third, stay open to learning. Even today, despite years of experience, I continue to learn and evolve.
You do not become old with time, you become old when you stop growing.
What are the biggest gaps you see in current O&P education or clinical training?
The biggest gap lies in translating knowledge into practice.
Students often understand concepts, but struggle with applying them in real situations where variables are constantly changing.
There is also a need to better integrate digital workflows into training environments. Knowledge gives direction, but application creates confidence.
Confidence is built through guided experience.
I encourage clinicians to participate actively and explain their reasoning. Not just what they are doing, but why they are doing it.
As a mentor, my role is not to provide answers, but to develop thinking. Confidence is not built by being told, it is built by understanding.
Clinical reasoning remains one of the most important and underdeveloped skills. Communication, documentation, and understanding service systems such as coding and resource management also need stronger emphasis.
At the same time, digital competency is becoming essential. Having worked extensively with CAD/CAM and additive manufacturing, I see these not as optional, but as necessary tools for modern practice. However, they must be built on strong fundamentals. Conventional methods such as casting, biomechanical modification, and fabrication remain the foundation of our profession. The goal is not to replace these skills, but to build on them. Technology changes the tool, not the thinking, whether it is a plaster rasp or a mouse, both rely on the same clinical reasoning.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing O&P departments over the next five years?
The key challenge will be maintaining quality while adapting to change.
Demand is increasing, technology is advancing, and expectations are rising. Departments must evolve without compromising clinical standards. The key will be integrating new technologies in a way that supports, rather than replaces, sound clinical judgment.
How should educators prepare students for a future shaped by digital workflows, AI, and advanced manufacturing?
The approach must be balanced.
Strong clinical foundations must come first. At the same time, exposure to digital tools should begin early.
Educators should integrate digital tools into clinical training rather than treating them as separate topics. With experience in both traditional and digital fabrication methods, I believe it is important for students to understand that technology supports clinical judgment, it does not replace it. A strong foundation in biomechanics combined with digital competency will be essential.
There is a need for more structured training pathways, stronger collaboration between clinical and fabrication services, and better use of data in planning and decision making. Investment in workforce development and mentorship is particularly important to ensure long term sustainability of services.
What part of your work gives you the greatest satisfaction?
Two things stand out.
Seeing a patient regain independence, and seeing a clinician grow into confident practice.
Both represent progress, one immediate, the other long term. When you improve a clinician, you improve every patient they will ever treat.
What keeps you optimistic about the future of the profession?
The combination of advancing technology and a motivated new generation of clinicians gives me confidence.
The field is evolving, and the willingness to adapt is stronger than ever. Progress in this profession is not driven by technology alone, but by people who are willing to use it wisely.
What is one change you would most like to see in the IMEA O&P sector?
Greater standardization in education, competency assessment, and professional classification. This will help ensure consistency in quality and create clearer pathways for clinicians across the region. When education, licensing, and clinical expectations are aligned, it strengthens both the profession and patient care.
Best advice ever received
Understand the problem deeply before solving it.
One book or resource for young clinicians
Resources such as Prosthetics and Patient Management: A Comprehensive Clinical Approach by Kevin Carroll, and
Orthotics: A Comprehensive Clinical Approach by Joan E. Edelstein are particularly valuable, as they emphasize clinical reasoning and real-world patient management.
One skill every future CPO should master
Clinical thinking grounded in biomechanics.
Biggest current frustration in the sector
Inconsistency in training and professional pathways.
One reason to stay hopeful
The ability to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives every day.
Over time, I have come to see that progress in this field depends on three things: strong clinical foundations, structured mentorship, and thoughtful integration of technology. When these come together, both patients and the profession benefit.