When I was around five years old I remember a physician at the Shriners Hospital for Children asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I didn't necessary know exactly what an ‘orthopedic surgeon’ meant and could barely push those big words out, but what I did know is that an orthopedic surgeon was one of the wonderful people who took care of me at the hospital.  I knew I wanted to be able to take care of someone like that when I grew up.  Fast forward 27 years.  No, I'm not an orthopedic surgeon (which I could partially blame on high school trigonometry), but I am in the prosthetic industry.  When I look around at my peers, I'm struck by the number of patients who feel the drive to become medical professionals.  So, why is that?  Is that a desire to give back?  A desire to use a unique 'insider' perspective to improve the quality of care?  Or just a more practical explanation... I know this stuff well because I live it.  Use what you know.  Regardless of the reason, many people living with limb deficiencies end up working in the O & P industry.  Does that make us better at what we do than people who were never the ones on the 'ouch' side of the knife?  Not necessarily, even though that's a common presumption.  Can it play a factor in our fulfillment and, thus, our success?  Absolutely.