Scottish Rite for Children aims to encourage women to join the field of orthopedic surgery and is doing so by hosting another edition of the Perry Outreach Program.
Presented by The Perry Initiative, this career exploration program allows young women to participate in hands-on exposure to orthopedic surgery instruments, methods and exercises while hearing from local female experts in the fields of orthopedics and engineering.
The program will take place on the Dallas campus on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., where participants will perform mock surgical simulations, including procedures such as attaching an external fixator, inserting an intramedullary nail, fracture plating, suturing, casting and more. The program is free and available to any female in either junior or senior high school interested in learning more about the fields of orthopedics and engineering.
The highly popular program attracts hundreds of girls, but only a select group is accepted based on submitted applications and program capacity. The Perry Initiative offers the program in various locations throughout the country to reach as many girls and young women as possible.
Women are drastically under-represented in the fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering and early exposure to these exciting, technical careers is key to boosting diversity and introducing fresh eyes and new perspectives to these life-changing fields. According to The Perry Initiative, women currently make up less than 8% of practice orthopedic surgeons and approximately 12% of practicing engineers.
During the program, girls will also receive mentoring support from prominent female surgeons, engineers and medical professionals in the field of orthopedics, including pediatric orthopedic surgeons Amy L. McIntosh, M.D. and Elizabeth W. Hubbard, M.D., and pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation physician Fabiola I. Reyes, M.D.
