The Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and orthopedic specialist Theresa Wyrick, MD, held an educational clinic for 35 female high school students in an effort to encourage more women to join the field.
The clinic was led by a group of female orthopedic physicians, primarily from UAMS, who taught techniques for repairing bone fractures.
The workshop is part of the Perry Outreach Program, a nonprofit that works to inspire more women to become orthopedic surgeons, engineers and researchers.
The surgeons also taught the students about work-life balance, tips for academic preparation and rewards of the job.
"Our goal is for young women to think about orthopedics and engineering as careers, and the Perry Outreach Program is making a difference, both nationally and here locally," Dr. Wyrick said in a Dec. 5 report from UAMS news. "We have women who come out of this program who go to medical school. It has propelled them into careers in medicine and orthopedics."