Week 8:
The End of the Beginning

By Sarah Carvo '22

Jon & Jean Reynolds Fellow in Prosthetics & Orthotics

Maughan Prosthetic & Orthotic | Silverdale, Washington

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August 7, 2020

The eighth and final week of my fellowship has come and gone, but the impact this experience has had on me will stay forever. My last week at MPO was packed full. At the office we had a week full of projects to work on, there were two below knee sockets that were a rush order on top of the long list of braces that also needed to be finished. Outside the office I was doing everything I could to take in my remaining time in Washington, and of course packing for my journey back to Colorado. This summer my fellowship has given me almost 300 hours of experience in the field of prosthetics and orthotics. One of the main things that Masters of Prosthetics and Orthotics schools look at when admitting students is hours of experience in or around the field and having so many hours already is going to help me stand out. As I continue to add to these hours I will make myself an even stronger applicant. I am thankful to have had this fellowship this year before having to seriously start looking at graduate schools and narrowing them down. I cannot express enough how much more confident I feel now looking at masters programs. I now have a better understanding of what the coursework includes, words that were foreign to me eight weeks ago now feel like a natural part of my vocabulary. Before talking with Justin and my coworkers I felt lost looking at schools, not knowing how to compare them. Armed now with the knowledge that they have shared with me I am eager to move forward with the graduate school process. MPO as a company and the people who work there have truly inspired me. I have never felt more clarity in what I want to pursue and the next steps of my life.

In my week six blog I mentioned a prosthetic arm that we were working on, this week that patient came back in for adjustments and I was able to get a few pictures to share with you. Seeing the arm and hand really showcases the complexity of upper limb prosthetics.

This is the arm all put together. It is attached to the socket which can be seen in the background. The socket goes over the patients shoulder and straps around his back and chest. Both the elbow and hand can be controlled by the electrodes embedded in the socket.
Here is an up close image of the hand. It has multiple grip options available and is quite impressive.
This is a sneak peak of the electronics inside the arm. It is incredible how much technology is hidden by the arm shell.
This is another type of prosthetic arm, but very different from the previous one. This arm is significantly less expensive and has no controlled function. The purpose of this arm is to give the cosmetic appearance of still having a biological arm.

During my last week, I was very involved in the lab, trying to make the most out of the time and opportunity available to me.

I helped with smoothing residual limb models.
I also helped with putting the lock on a final below knee socket. This socket was pretty cool, the patient chose to have fabric of an eagle laminated into it.
Nelli loved helping me pack throughout the week!
On the drive back to Colorado we stopped at Twin Falls, Idaho and the sight was stunning.

I want to finish my final blog by thanking everyone who has followed my journey. I have received an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends. Thank you Maughan Prosthetic & Orthotic for an amazing fellowship and for truly taking me in, teaching me, and giving me valuable hands-on experience and patient interaction. And a special thank you also to Mr. Jon Reynolds, whose contributions to the Cornell Fellows program helped me get there.

Thank you Justin! You have created an incredible company and I am grateful to have been a part of it.

Sarah Carvo '22

Sarah is a kinesiology and psychology double major from Broomfield, Colorado.