Female High School and Medical School Students Encouraged to Apply for 2016 Perry Outreach Program, Hosted by Orthopaedic Institute for Children

National Free Program Open to Women Interested in Pursuing Careers
in Medicine and Engineering, With Special Emphasis on Shortage of Women
in Orthopaedics

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.

Contacts

for Orthopaedic Institute for Children
Camille Strickland,
213-742-1501
CStrickland@mednet.ucla.edu