LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Perry Outreach Program, a free hands-on experience for female high school students, as well as women currently enrolled in medical school, who are interested in pursuing careers in medicine and engineering. The program is sponsored and hosted by the Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC), and students must apply and be admitted in order to participate.
The Medical Student Outreach Program (MSOP) will be held the evening of April 8 and is intended for women in their first or second year of medical school who are undecided about specialty choice or have expressed interest in exploring a career in orthopaedics. That evening participants will hear lectures from local women surgeons, network with industry leaders, and perform two hands-on skills modules and mock orthopaedic surgeries.
On April 9 young women from high schools (grades 10 and above) will hear from women leaders in the fields of medicine and engineering and, by doing so, foster their understanding of and appreciation for the career that may lie ahead. Hands-on experience will be a critical part of the day’s activities as well.
“We are honored to be the Los Angeles site host for this nationwide program, which each year touches more than 1,000 of the brightest high school and medical students from around the country,” said Dr. Jennifer Beck, associate director of the Center for Sports Medicine at OIC. “Today there is a tremendous shortage of women practicing orthopaedics, so this program is particularly important in advancing the study of orthopaedics and encouraging women to consider this important specialty.”
Despite the increasing number of women entering medical and graduate school, women constitute only 12 percent of the academic faculty in orthopaedics and 7 percent of practicing orthopaedics, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Only 11 percent of the faculty at engineering schools is women, with that percentage being lower for mechanical engineering. In the face of these numbers, the Perry Initiative is committed to inspiring young women to be leaders in the fields of orthopaedic surgery and engineering. The program is named in honor of Dr. Jacquelin Perry, one of the first female orthopaedic surgeons in the country and a mentor to countless women and men in the field throughout her celebrated career, which spanned 1952 to 2013.
Additional information on the April 8 and 9 events can be found at www.perryinitiative.org. The application for the MSOP can be found at perryinitiative.org/medical-student-online-application/. High school students can apply at perryinitiative.org/programs/student-online-application/. The application deadline for both events is March 9.
Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) was founded in 1911 as Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital. Focused solely on musculoskeletal conditions in children, Orthopaedic Institute for Children receives over 60,000 patient visits each year. In alliance with UCLA Health and with the support of the OIC Foundation, OIC advances pediatric orthopaedics worldwide through outstanding patient care, medical education and research. With locations in downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Westwood, and Calexico, OIC treats the full spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic disorders and injuries. For more information, visit www.ortho-institute.org.
