J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO

Prioritizing Student Well-Being

J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, brings years of experience to his latest task: launching a master’s program

O&P Almanac’s new O&P Educator column focuses on experienced educators within the O&P profession. Here, you will get to know inspiring individuals who educate the next generation of O&P professionals.

J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, worked closely with a team in designing the space for the new O&P master’s program at Salus University.

AS J. CHAD DUNCAN, PhD, CRC, CPO, prepares to open the doors to a new O&P master’s program at Salus University, he is pulling from his extensive background in education to create a unique learning environment for the next generation of O&P clinicians. “‘Salus’ means well-being,” Duncan says, “so we’ll be focused on student well-being” in the program set to launch in August on campus in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

Before taking on the role of chair and program director of orthotics and prosthetics at Salus last year, Duncan served as director of Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC). Prior to that, he was chair and program director at Alabama State University (ASU)—a program he helped build from the ground up 10 years ago.

Made for the Moment

Duncan’s own educational experience perfectly prepared him for designing the new master’s program. He first discovered O&P as an undergraduate at Auburn University in the early ‘90s. “I did a job shadow in pediatric orthotics, and I fell in love with it,” he recalls. He worked as a prosthetic technician while earning his bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation sciences, and continued to work as a technician after moving to Chicago to pursue certificates in orthotics and prosthetics from Northwestern University.

After receiving ABC certification, Duncan moved back to his hometown of Auburn to work in O&P clinical practice. There, he was introduced to teaching: He was invited to give a two-hour lecture to undergraduates on O&P. “The professor who invited me to speak asked me to consider teaching,” which spurred his decision to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees at Auburn and transition to full-time teaching.

Duncan’s influence within the field of O&P education is unmistakable. The O&P program at ASU won accreditation by NCOPE in 2012. He moved back to Chicago to work on faculty at Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC), eventually becoming director—fulfilling a professional dream.

In addition to his teaching roles, Duncan has contributed to the O&P community as a member of AOPA National Assembly Planning Committee, a licensure board member, a speaker at dozens of conferences and industry events, a content developer for NCOPE materials and ABC item writer, an author of journal articles and book chapters,

and a mentor to several master’s students completing their capstone projects. He also is an inaugural member of AOPA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Duncan has won several teaching awards, including the 2021 Best Teachers of Feinberg Award at NUPOC.

The decision to move from Chicago to Pennsylvania two years ago was a difficult one for Duncan—but he knows he made the right choice. “I was in my pinnacle job at NUPOC” when he and his wife decided to move closer to family on the East Coast. The move led Duncan to his current position at Salus. “Since I had already gone through the process of building a program from the ground up [at ASU], I decided to build this program a bit differently,” incorporating some new concepts. He is leveraging the lessons learned at both ASU and NUPOC as a foundation in creating the new program—and integrating new concepts as well.

Setting a New Tone

The Salus program will complement several existing healthcare-related programs at the university. Duncan is working to establish curricula that align with standards put forth by NCOPE within the interdisciplinary model already established at the university. Salus expects an initial class of 12 O&P master’s students, overseen by four faculty. The small cohort will enable faculty to be flexible, taking a “nimble” approach the first year to allow for adaptation to improve the program as necessary.

So far, Duncan has hired a lab manager, an administrative assistant, and two faculty; he expects one more faculty member will be on board by August 1. The newly constructed space features plenty of room for lab work. “The lab is on the fourth floor, with lots of windows, lots of light, and open space,” Duncan says. The lab promotes interactive, rather than passive learning, and it has room for growth as new technologies advance and become integrated into the NCOPE curriculum. “I’m a lab rat and believe in hand skills,” says Duncan. “I want our students to practice, and to become comfortable with different materials, so that when they’re working with patients they can focus.” NCOPE representatives recently conducted a site visit and subsequently granted Candidacy, which will now allow the university to accept the inaugural class. Orientation is set to begin August 15.

Duncan believes in a flipped classroom model, which is more interactive than traditional learning. A flipped classroom is structured around the idea that lecture or direct instruction is not the best use of class time; students come to class having already encountered the information, then spend class time engaging in activities that involve higher order thinking.

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This approach encourages “focused learning” among students, Duncan says. “They learn from home and then focus on active learning while in class.”

For the most part, Salus O&P N program content will be similar to content at the other O&P schools, which must all adhere to the NCOPE standards. “The introductory courses will remain the same” as at the other schools, says Duncan. But in some of the more advanced classes, “we will take a slightly different spin,” he says. “Since I have a background in rehabilitation, I’ve worked with a wide range of disabilities. In the rehab world, we’re always looking at the assets of an individual person, and we’ll be incorporating rehab principles into O&P.”

Salus’s program is unique in that “its whole curriculum is based on cultural humility,” says Duncan. “The goal of this approach is to push the next generation of clinicians into being more holistically focused on patient care. I hope this approach draws diverse interest to Salus’s O&P program.”

Salus faculty will emphasize listening to students and will encourage diverse and inclusive studies. “We’re trying to bring the profession together,” Duncan explains. Professors will ask students to become “listeners who make things” to improve quality of life for patients, while being open to differences and diversity, he says. An independent study portion of the program will be based on heutagogy, or self-determined learning, under the guidance of a mentor. “Learners will drive their own experience and learning through others, and take ownership of their education.” This approach is designed to inspire lifelong learning and an openness to others, according to Duncan.

Readying Adult Learners

Recognizing that students are preparing for important clinical roles while completing their master’s work, the Salus program embraces the concept of andragogy—the method and practices of teaching and giving the students an understanding of the why, to be independent, hands-on, and adult learners; this approach will help prepare students for residency, according to Duncan.

The Salus program will be only the second O&P master’s program to feature an integrated residency. Students will complete their didactic work in 16 months, then take part in an 18-month residency while continuing to follow independent study. With only 12 students in the first cohort, Duncan hopes that all students will be able to complete their residencies locally, so he and his colleagues can fully support them.

To ensure optimal instruction, Duncan plans to train faculty in educational best practices. “Most O&P professors don’t have backgrounds in education,” he says. He has consulted an expert on principles of teaching to help the instructors perfect their teaching strategies as the program develops.

Today’s O&P students are more than ready for the educational strategies that

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will be employed at Salus, according to Duncan. O&P master’s candidates in 2022 are highly motivated, highly educated students who are intentionally choosing the profession, he says. Duncan hopes the Salus program will help give students an identity within the profession, and that they will feel as though they already play integral roles within O&P—even as students.

Current students also are at an advantage when it comes to understanding new technologies, according to Duncan. Many enter master’s programs already familiar with additive manufacturing and the digital workspace—concepts the O&P profession is gradually adopting. “These things are the next big phase,” even as hand skills continue to be needed, he says. “Scanning can be used as a tool to modify and collect data, even if we’re not using it for all patients.

“We’re becoming more data-driven and more outcomes-driven. That’s where the profession is going, and that’s where education needs to be.”

Educating Current Professionals on Cutting-Edge Technologies

In addition to his many roles in educating O&P students over the years, J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, has been involved in education for professional clinicians at venues such as the AOPA National Assembly. For the past several years, Duncan has helped plan the clinical content at the annual event, working closely with Charles Kuffel, CPO, LPO, FAAOP. He has been involved in determining and selecting session topics and poster presentations, as well as identifying Thranhardt lecture candidates.

This year, Duncan, along with Jeff Erenstone, CPO, co-chairs the O&P Digital Care Committee, which will launch a new educational track at the Assembly in San Antonio. According to Duncan, this track will help alleviate the concerns of clinicians who are nervous about new technologies and wary of moving “out of their lane.” The education on digital topics will expose AOPA members to newer technologies and increase their comfort level, says Duncan.

“We’re trying new things” in this track, he says. For example, the O&P Digital Care Track will include a new interactive experience during a breakout session, where companies can consider two case studies—one in prosthetics or one in orthotics—and share with participants how they would handle the cases leveraging their technologies, according to Duncan. “This will be a more immersive experience and informative for Assembly-goers,” he says.

Duncan also encourages attendees to consider the content on additive manufacturing within the Digital Care track, which will touch on the many ways 3D-printing technologies can be integrated into O&P facilities.

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