MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia University School of Medicine partnered with The Perry Initiative on Saturday to give high school girls hands-on medical experience to get more women into the field of orthopedics.

Students worked with current WVU medical students and residents and performed six different orthopedic surgery simulations using drills, hammers and other medical implements throughout the day. The program was led by Dr. Michelle Bramer, an associate professor of orthopedic trauma surgery at WVU.

“I think in the state of West Virginia, we have a little bit of an under-served population,” Braer said. “I think this really helps introduce young girls in high school to these fields early, and that hopefully sparks an interest for them to continue a career in either engineering or the health care field.”

The Perry Initiative is an organization named after Dr. Jacquelin Perry, who was one of the first women certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Perry died in 2013, but the organization remains committed to getting more women into the field of orthopedic surgery, which is largely male-dominated.

A 2022 study found that only 7.4% of practicing orthopedic surgeons in the United States were female and that one of the best ways to improve the gender gap in the field of orthopedics was through female mentorship.