For more than 95 years, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has been dedicated to educating the medical professionals of the future. This week, the hospital has the privilege of collaborating with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) Department of Orthopedics to host the Perry Initiative – a group established in 2009 to inspire women to become leaders in the fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering. Since its inception, this program has traveled around the country and has reached over 6,000 high school, college and medical students.

This year, Scottish Rite Hospital and UTSW are co-sponsoring two initiatives on Nov. 3 and 4 – the Medical Student Outreach (MSO) and the Perry Outreach (PO) programs. The MSO is for current medical students and the PO is developed for young women in high school. Each program provides the opportunity for the students to participate in hands-on workshops and learn from surgeons and engineers.

Both institutions are having highly respected female surgeons, physicians and researchers to provide guidance and education. Scottish Rite Hospital’s staff orthopedist Amy L. McIntosh, M.D., staff hand surgeon Christine Ho, M.D. and UTSW assistant professor of orthopedic surgery Alexandra Callan, M.D are giving insight on their backgrounds, experience of deciding to be in the medical field and the work-life balance of being an orthopedic surgeon. Scottish Rite Hospital’s Director of the Movement Science Lab Kirsten Tulchin-Francis, Ph.D. is also sharing her story of becoming a bioengineer. A current fellow of Scottish Rite Hospital’s Dorothy & Bryant Edwards Fellowship, Lorena Floccari, M.D., is speaking to the medical students about her medical school experience and her journey throughout her education.

Tulchin-Francis, who has been involved with the Perry Initiative for several years, is passionate about the program. “I am honored to have the opportunity to share my story of becoming a bioengineer with these young women,” says Tulchin-Francis. “The Perry Initiative is an inspiring program because it not only provides mentorship and guidance to women, but also empowers the current female medical professionals to realize the impact they are having in the field of orthopedics and engineering.”

Learn more about the Perry Initiative.