This month, Indiana-based orthopedic companies welcomed nearly 1,000 eighth-grade students from across Kosciusko County, Indiana, as part of OrthoWorx’s DiscoverME program.
Indiana Ortho Companies Welcome 1,000 Area Students
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DiscoverME is a manufacturing experiences program targeted at students who are preparing to enter high school and who are exploring career interests. The program provides students with community responsive curriculum focused on advanced manufacturing opportunities. This year, middle school students from Tippecanoe Valley, Warsaw, Wawasee, and Whitko participated in the program.
OrthoWorx VP of Operations & Engagement Allyn Decker explained, “Sometimes we don’t see opportunities close to home, so DiscoverME plays a key role in helping young people visualize how they can connect their skills and interests to our vibrant manufacturing industry in Kosciusko County.”
Decker continued, “High-tech, well-paying careers can be started right after high school with the proper training and development, and we’re excited to help students start those career pathways now.”
The program kicked off with an assembly at Warsaw High School’s Tiger Recreational Activity Center (TRAC). At the TRAC students were given the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning stations.
After the assembly, the students were able to tour one of the many manufacturing facilities in the community. A number of manufacturers participated as field trip destinations including the following: Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Instrumental Machine and Development, Medartis, Paragon Medical, POLYWOOD, Precision Medical Technologies, and Zimmer Biomet.
Precision Medical Technologies is a contract orthopedic manufacturer of implants and instruments. Precision Medical Technologies Human Resources Generalist Paige Troyer commented, “We truly enjoy hosting the DiscoverME tours at Precision Medical. Watching our team engage with the students highlights the importance of these events.”
Troyer continued, “These young students represent the future of our industry, and it’s exciting to see their curiosity and enthusiasm for orthopedics, even at the 8th-grade level.”
DiscoverME is just one of many experiences provided by OrthoWorx for area 8th graders. In January and February 2025, OrthoWorx will release three virtual reality experiences including CNC machining, polishing, and entrepreneurship.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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