Prosthetics and Orthotics graduate’s innovative design helps fellow student hit the mark in archery
Graduate Fraser Drummond-Hay had always loved “seeing theories we’ve studied come together in reality”, and this passion had an incredible impact when he was able to bring his prosthetics expertise and his lifelong hobby of archery together to help a disabled student to give the sport a go.
A career in prosthetics and orthotics puts graduates at the forefront of making a real difference to peoples’ lives, developing artificial limbs to assist people who have part of or a whole limb missing, and assistive devices to support the function of people with neurological, muscular and skeletal conditions.
The course at Salford provides students with a mix of clinical, practical and theoretical learning. Fraser says: “The best part of the course by far has been working with our volunteer patients. Being able to use your knowledge from anatomy lectures and biomechanics and then seeing the real-life positive impact is very satisfying. The first time you see someone using an orthotic or prosthetic device you have made yourself is a very special moment.”
Fraser’s skills were put to the test when a fellow student happened to come along to the archery club where Fraser was coaching during his studies, with a special request. “We were approached by a disabled student who was interested in giving archery a try. This led to me using the facilities here at the University to manufacture a bespoke device, enabling the student to take part without any outside assistance at all.
“It was a very unique and lovely scenario where my own passions for archery and for prosthetics and orthotics overlapped perfectly, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help from the amazing lecturers and technicians here at Salford.”
But Fraser came to study Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) almost by chance. He explains: “I’d considered a number of different careers and paths, and nothing felt quite right or fulfilling for me, and then by pure chance I stumbled upon this course. I signed up to attend the open day and immediately fell in love with it! As the only university in England offering a full-time undergraduate qualification in P&O, Salford was the obvious choice.”
During his course, he has taken advantage of many of the different opportunities the university offers, including the chance to study abroad. “Towards the end of the first year, I spent a month on a clinical exchange programme in Uganda through a fantastic charity called ‘Knowledge 4 Change’. Being able to work and learn in an environment and culture so different from what we’re used to back home was an amazing experience. Despite the differences the work itself remained almost identical to what we did daily in university!”
So what’s next for Fraser? “All of the best lessons I’ve had have been from trying out something that didn’t quite work out, and then on the next attempt knowing what to do better. It can become quite easy to doubt yourself until you reflect and realise you’ve gotten this far for a reason!
“All my best experiences and memories have come from pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I would love to make some sort of lasting positive contribution to the field as a whole, and to work internationally across the world as much as I can – starting with a clinical P&O role which I will be starting in Sweden come October!”
