Confidence Is Being Comfortable Saying "I Don't Know" in Amputee Rehabilitation

Somewhere along the way, a lot of us started believing we were supposed to have all the answers.

School tends to reinforce that idea early. You’re rewarded when you know the answer and penalized when you don’t. Good grade if you’re right. Bad grade if you’re not. That pattern repeats for years, so it’s not surprising that many health care providers, who spend a long time in this system, end up equating competence with knowing the “answer.”

That belief can be hard to shake, even once we’re in practice.

I see it often in students, newer grads, and even experienced clinicians stepping into an unfamiliar area like amputee rehabilitation. There can be hesitation to ask questions, especially in front of peers. Almost like asking exposes something that should already be known.

From the educator side, questions are one of the strongest signals that someone is engaged and thinking. They help me understand how the material is being processed. They often help others in the room who were wondering the same thing but didn’t ask. They highlight areas that may need more explanation. Everyone benefits.

The willingness to ask isn’t a gap in knowledge. It signals an understanding that learning requires admitting what you don’t yet know.

I’ve been reminded of this repeatedly while building a business. I find myself in conversations where people reference concepts or terminology that are probably very basic in their world, but completely unfamiliar to me. I didn’t go to school for most of this. I learn far more by asking people who have been doing it long enough that it feels second nature to them.

My first instinct, if I’m honest, is still to nod along and act like I understand. But every time I stop and say, "I’m not familiar with that, can you explain it?" the conversation becomes significantly more useful. Every single time. And I honestly can’t remember the last time someone responded with judgment. If anything, people seem to appreciate the opportunity to explain something they know well.

Most of the hesitation to ask probably comes from experiences much earlier in life. Maybe grade school. Maybe a sibling giving you a hard time. But in professional environments, especially among people who care about improving, questions are usually welcomed.

We have more access to information now than ever before, but quick access to information isn’t the same as understanding. Real growth comes from learning from people who have seen things you haven't yet. From the colleague who recognizes a pattern. From the prosthetist who can explain why a patient is compensating the way they are. From clinicians willing to share what they've learned through experience.

Saying "I don’t know" doesn’t reduce confidence. It often builds it. The clinicians who are comfortable admitting what they don’t know tend to ask better questions, make better adjustments, and continue improving over time.

Patients can usually tell the difference between someone trying to appear certain and someone who is genuinely invested in helping them figure things out.

Confidence isn’t having all the answers. It’s being comfortable enough to ask, and knowing you can find them.

One of the most important parts of learning a complex area of practice is being in an environment where it’s normal to ask questions, share uncertainty, and learn from the experience of others. That is a major focus of the Amputee Rehabilitation Specialist Certification Course.