Medical Appliance Technicians
Medical Appliance Technicians construct, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, artificial limbs, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances.Medical Appliance Technicians also perform the following duties:
- Carves, cuts, grinds, and welds wood, plastic or metal to make and repair medical devices, using hand and power tools.
- Lays out and marks dimensions of parts, using templates and precision measuring instruments.
- Reads specifications to determine type of product or device to be fabricated and selects required materials and tools.
- Fits appliance onto patient and adjusts appliance as necessary.
- Instructs patient in use of prosthetic or orthotic device.
Requirements
- Completion of an orthotics/prosthetics instructional program that prepares individuals to make and fit orthoses and prostheses. Training is under the supervision of a physician and in consultation with therapists.
- Instruction in design, crafting and production techniques, properties of materials, anatomy and physiology, and patient counseling.
- Strong reading skills.
- Ability to read and understand technical specifications.
- Good mathematical ability.
- Good vision and fine motor skills.
- Mechanical aptitude.
- Detail oriented.
- Desire to help others.
- Fingerprint clearance may be required by employer.
Wages
- Medical Appliance Technicians Median hourly wage: $15.01
- Average annual wage: $35,562 Source: Occupational Employment Survey of Employers 2005 by EDD/LMID.
Job Outlook
- Estimated number of Medical Appliance Technicians in 2002: 1,200
- Estimated number of Medical Appliance Technicians in 2012: 1,400
- Estimated annual job openings: 50
Possible Career Paths for Medical Appliance Technicians include becoming a:
- Medical Equipment Repairer
- Calibration and Instrumentation Technician
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Orthotist and Prosthetist
- Optician, Dispensing