Julianne Muñoz, MD, an assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has received a $3,600 grant from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons for her women in orthopedics initiative.
In 2022, Dr. Muñoz launched the Female Orthopedists of Miami mentorship organization, a mentorship group for female residents, medical students, fellows and attendings.
Right now, only 6 to 7 percent of AAOS members are women, according to a Jan. 30 press release.
Through AAOS' Inspiring Diversity, Equity and Access program, Dr. Muñoz has received a grant for her mentorship group.
Right now, the program has about 20 to 25 attendees who regularly attend mentoring sessions and lectures from practicing female orthopedists. Lecture topics range from goal setting to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Dr. Muñoz hopes to expand the program to first-year medical students, reaching female orthopedic surgeons early in their journeys.
"I wasn't seeing many female orthopedic surgeons. I was shocked the first time I joined this group to see how many women were there," Alina Syros, a third-year medical student getting ready to apply for orthopedic residency, said in the release. "This group really has been a really nice space for me to ask questions that maybe I couldn't ask male orthopedic surgeons."