Forty young women from local high schools will be selected to take part in the Perry Outreach Program, a free program that encourages careers in orthopaedics and engineering. It will be held Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 16.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation is hosting and sponsoring the program, which is put on by The Perry Initiative, a non-profit organization.
It will feature laboratory workshops designed to introduce students to surgical and engineering skills, including performing surgical simulations, fixing a broken leg, and repairing knee ligaments. Throughout the day students will hear from prominent women surgeons, engineers, and business women in the field of orthopaedics.
Lori Reed, M.D., foot and ankle surgeon and associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, is one of the program organizers.
“There is currently a very uneven distribution of women in the field of orthopaedic surgery,” Dr. Reed said. “If we can reach women at a young age, and engage them by showing how exciting orthopaedic surgery can be, we will have a much better chance of bridging that gap.”
Women currently comprise only 7 percent of the surgeon and engineer workforce in orthopaedics.
Susan Scherl, M.D., a professor and pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, will also be participating, along with fellow local orthopaedic surgeons Kathleen Grier, M.D. and Kimberly Turman, M.D. Drs. Grier and Turman practice at GIKK Ortho Specialists.
“It’s a powerful tool to be able to provide real experiences that hopefully will motivate young women in our community to choose a career in orthopaedics or engineering,” Dr. Reed said. “The Perry Initiative provides us with a unique opportunity to reach out to these young women at no cost to the students or the facility.”
The Perry Initiative is a non-profit organization that holds over thirty outreach programs nationwide, and this is the first program in Omaha.
To apply go to http://perryinitiative.org/programs/student-online-application. More information on The Perry Initiative can be found at: www.perryinitiative.org.
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