The inaugural High School Scholars Program, hosted by Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in partnership with the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and sponsored by Stryker, included 50 students from schools including Phineas Banning Senior High School, Crenshaw High School STEMM Magnet, Westchester High School and Dominguez High School. The program offered the students a firsthand look at a future in healthcare.

“Our hope is that we open some eyes up to a career that has been tremendously fulfilling for me and my colleagues,” said Milton Little, MD, chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at Cedars-Sinai and one of the program’s organizers. “We want students to see what’s possible—not just in orthopedics, but across medicine: helping people, building a future, and avoiding the distractions or limitations they may face in their communities.”

Little knows this firsthand. He grew up in Harlem and lived in Los Angeles' pre-gentrified Echo Park in the late 1980s, giving him a deep and personal understanding of the challenges that students from underserved communities often face.

The half-day scholars program featured hands-on simulations, a career panel, and mentorship from orthopaedic surgeons, residents, physician assistants and other healthcare professionals. All were committed to showing students that their background doesn't define their future.

Students rotated through stations where they learned to apply casts and splints. They even drilled into synthetic bones to simulate hardware placement used in trauma surgeries. For many, it was their first time holding a surgical tool—or meeting a physician who looked like them.

“Orthopedic surgery is one of the least accessible specialties for students from underrepresented minority communities,” Little said. “Roughly 80% of orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. are white males. Black orthopedic surgeons make up just 1.5% of the field. That’s why programs like this matter.”

Among the volunteers were medical students from Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, members of the Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Department, Ventura Medical Center orthopaedic attendings, Cedars-Sinai anesthesiologists, Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory researchers, representatives from Johnson & Johnson MedTech and instrument specialists from Stryker. Many of the program’s mentors came from backgrounds similar to the students’, making their stories all the more impactful.

“I’m from L.A., so I’m in some rough parts of it,” said Landen Coleman, from Crenshaw High School. “I met a doctor here who’s from Compton, and it was interesting seeing someone who came from my background turn their knowledge into something they can use to get out.”

The event was made possible through collaboration with Team HEAL (Helping Enrich Athletes’ Lives), a Cedars-Sinai community health program that provides high school athletes with access to certified athletic trainers, injury treatment and preventive health education. In addition to supporting athletes, Team HEAL offers students the chance to gain hands-on experience working alongside Cedars-Sinai trainers on the sidelines.

“For many students, athletics opens the door,” said Clarence Shields, MD, medical director of Team HEAL. “But we also want to show them what’s possible beyond the game. By giving them early access to mentors and real-world experiences, we’re helping them see a future in medicine they may not have known was there.”

Students like Aryeh Gustave, a Team HEAL participant from Crenshaw High School, left the program with new ambitions.

“I thought it was kind of weird that we were screwing metal into arms—like, ew,” Gustave said with a laugh. “But if it helps someone heal, I liked it. I’m actually considering doing this in the future.”

For Dayme Moraparra, a student from Dominguez High School, the impact came through the power of lived experience.

“I loved the career panel because I got to hear all their stories,” Moraparra said. “It wasn’t easy for them—and they still broke through the barriers.”

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Faces of Cedars-Sinai – Melodie Metzger, Director of Orthopaedics Biomechanics Laboratory

Fewer than 10% of practicing orthopedic surgeons are women, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The Perry Initiative, a nonprofit organization that partners with medical institutions nationwide, aims to narrow the gender gap in orthopedics and engineering.

“Traditionally, the representation of women in science, engineering and math lags behind,” said Carol Lin, MD, an orthopedic trauma surgeon and one of the program’s organizers at Cedars-Sinai. “This program is a way to show young women that they can have a family, a career, and be an orthopedic surgeon or engineer.”

More than 50 high school and medical students from across Los Angeles participated in this year’s two-day event. Students engaged in a mix of lectures and hands-on workshops.

Medical students connected with orthopedic mentors and practiced advanced techniques like external fixation and intramedullary nailing. High school students were introduced to the basics of orthopedic surgery through interactive stations where they used power drills and saws on synthetic bones to learn how physicians repair fractures and reconstruct torn ligaments. 

“What I love about these workshops is seeing students start off intimidated by the power tools because they've never used them before,” Lin said. “By the end of the day, they're confidently saying, ‘I think this fracture needs a few more screws.’”

Melodie Metzger, PhD, an orthopedic biomedical engineer and co-organizer of the program at Cedars-Sinai, emphasized the importance of early exposure for these students.

“Orthopedics is a field where problem-solving and innovation intersect,” Metzger said. “Programs like The Perry Initiative allow young women to see how their passion for science and engineering can translate into impactful careers. It’s about showing them that they have a place here.”

Young women interested in applying for an upcoming The Perry Initiative event can click here.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Faces of Cedars-Sinai – Melodie Metzger, Director of Orthopaedics Biomechanics Laboratory

That’s why Gregory Jones, RN, injury prevention and outreach coordinator for the hospital’s Trauma Program, is on a mission to help older adults avoid risk factors and prevent falls. Jones has been giving talks at community centers across Los Angeles County leading up to Falls Prevention Awareness Week Sept. 23-27.

“Prevention is the best cure for the disease of trauma,” Jones tells audiences. “Many falls are preventable, and knowledge is power, so the more everyone is aware of the ways to prevent a fall, the better.”

The National Council on Aging reports that every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in a hospital emergency department for a fall-related injury. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 300,000 people 65 and older visit a hospital every year for a hip fracture from falling.

Jones said most people will be able to get up if they fall. Still, for some, a fall can lead to lost independence, disability or even death.

“People who have fallen once have a greater risk of falling again,” Jones said. “Another risk factor is feeling unsteady or off balance, needing support to walk, or holding onto furniture when walking around the house.”

Other fall risk factors include:

• Taking medicines that can cause lightheadedness or drowsiness
• Home hazards, such as slippery surfaces, lack of railings, clutter or inadequate lighting
• Numbness in the feet
• Weak leg muscles
• Vision problems

Jones tells older people that simply knowing whether they’re at greater risk of falling is just part of the equation.

“You also must correct what could cause you to fall or has already caused a fall,” he said.

Cedars-Sinai’s outpatient Geriatrics Program offers consultations for falls and fall prevention.

Its outpatient Bone Health Coaching Program, part of the Geriatric Fracture Program in the Department of Orthopaedics, provides bone health and fall risk evaluations and counsels patients on how to reduce the risk of fragility fractures—typically in the hip, spine or wrist—which can occur when a person falls from a standing position.

“The risk of falling and breaking a bone is much greater for people with poor bone quality from osteoporosis or osteopenia,” said nurse practitioner Kathleen Breda, associate director of Orthopaedic Clinical Programs. “Because poor bone quality isn’t usually obvious, many people don’t know they have a problem with their bones until they fall and break one. Proactive care to protect bones is crucial to long-term quality of life. Our Bone Health Coaching Program helps people at risk for a fall before they break a bone or helps them avoid another fracture if they fall again.”

The Cedars-Sinai Geriatrics Program and Bone Health Coaching Program have received Age-Friendly Health System Committed to Care Excellence recognition, which means they work to improve bone fracture outcomes through the “4Ms” model of care: learning what matters most to each patient, optimizing medications, helping them maintain mobility and monitoring mental state.

One important way to take action to prevent a fall, Jones and Breda said, is by building balance, strength and flexibility through an exercise program. Cedars-Sinai offers Forever Fit classes for older adults, led by its Community Health Improvement professionals.

Other ways to prevent a fall include regularly reviewing medications with a physician or pharmacist to make sure side effects don’t increase fall risk, getting an annual vision and hearing checkup, and keeping the home environment uncluttered.

Jones encourages taking small steps—no pun intended—on the path to fall prevention.

“Start by taking a look around the house—that throw rug in the hallway may be pretty but is it a fall hazard?” he said. “I also recommend a night light or flashlight for the bathroom or bedroom. Use a cane if your doctor says you should. Be sure you’re wearing the right shoes.

“But at the same time, don’t get overwhelmed. You don’t have to do all these things all at once. Start small.”

Jones will discuss fall prevention on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. at West Hollywood Comprehensive Service Center, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., and on Friday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m. at Jewish Family Service, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Bone Health Breakdown—How to Prevent Fractures