If you have had a chance to interact with Marc Pépin we are sure you had a great experience. Marc joined our team in September of 2019 and has been helping our patients since. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our clinic and works hard to find solutions no matter what stage of amputation you are dealing with. Below Marc talks about some of his past experience, advice for people with an amputation and what he does in his spare time.
1. What is your position at Winpo and how long have you been working there?
Certified Prosthetist. Started at WINPO in Sept 2019. Certified in 2005 and worked in Ottawa previously.
2. What brought you into this line of work?
I gravitated to all the anatomy and biomechanics courses at university; (BSc, in Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa). Also always enjoyed working with my hands, so the technical and clinical aspect of the field was very attractive when I discovered the program at George Brown College.
3. What is the favorite part of your career?
Still enjoy the mix of clinical and technical experience; including the interaction with patients and colleages, the problem solving, as well as the technical side of fabrication and the interface of device/body.
4. What challenges do you often see with your patients? How do they overcome them?
I see patients often struggle with the significance and frequency of changes, in the early days of prosthetic use. When everything is so new physically and mentally I can imagine it is a lot to adjust to. Lots of early education, limb changes, trial and error, and staying in close contact with the prosthetist to ask questions and trouble shoot the issues.
5. What advice would you give someone who is about to face an amputation?
Try to stay positive and hopeful. Accept that there will be some tough days and hard work ahead, but there will also be some victories to celebrate.
6. What advice would you give someone who just had an amputation?
Trust the team of professionals, experts and peers around you, to guide your progress; you are not alone and do not have to reinvent the wheel at each stage. Question them, listen and employ them to improve your health and mobility.
7. What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy playing various sports and staying active; both personally and as a family, with our kids. I am currently quite addicted to golf, particularly as team sports have been restricted. I also love listening to music, both at home or at live shows, with friends. Still also getting to explore the fun that Winnipeg and Manitoba have to offer, having only lived here for a couple years.