OrthoWorx Member Spotlight: Grace College – ORCA Program Launches Third Cohort

Guest Author: Professor Allyn Decker, Director, Graduate Program for Regulatory and Clinical Affairs in Orthopaedics

The OrthoWorx Center of Excellence at Grace College is pleased to announce the commencement of the third cohort in the graduate program for Orthopaedic Regulatory and Clinical Affairs (ORCA).

This year’s program began the weekend of May 17, 2013. It is comprised of students from the local area plus Michigan, Illinois and Georgia. Students represent varied backgrounds, including biomedical and validation engineering, orthopedic manufacturing, sales and recruitment, technology education and chiropractic medicine. Three students are recent college graduates with degrees in biology.

During orientation students learned about the ORCA Program and heard presentations from industry leaders on various subjects, including the history of orthopedic manufacturing, current global challenges and opportunities and also the significance of being located in The Orthopedic Capital of the World.^® Industry experts also outlined the pre-market and post-market cycles of orthopedic product development, marketing and distribution. Presenters emphasized the critical regulatory and clinical considerations at each point in the product lifecycle. Students also enjoyed a three-hour workshop on personality types to maximize personal strengths and preferences in individual and team assignments throughout the year.

The ORCA Program is an accelerated graduate program consisting of twelve, three-credit courses and is designed to complete in one calendar year. Over the past two years, 54 students have graduated. The internship and job placement rates have been 70 and 83 percent, respectively, for non-industry students coming into the program desiring entry into orthopedic regulatory and clinical affairs.

Local industry has been very supportive of the ORCA Program and continues to notify us when positions open. It is exciting to see non-industry students learn so quickly and be able to put their knowledge to work in rewarding careers. Several industry students have also experienced promotions due to their increased knowledge of regulatory and clinical affairs.

Currently, the ORCA program runs from May 2013 to April 2014, with each course running one month long. This accelerated graduate program awards a Master of Science Degree to those who successfully complete all 12 courses. A graduate certificate option also exists for those desiring to focus on either regulatory or clinical affairs.

For more information and to apply online, visit www.grace.edu/orca, or call Allyn Decker at 547-372-5100, ext. 6509.