For Charlottesville-area residents looking to broaden their knowledge of common health-related topics, Mini-Med School, a University Medical Center program, is preparing to welcome its newest students. Starting March 28 and continuing through May 9, the Mini-Med program offers a series of lectures dealing with practical medical issues free of charge.
Supported by an education grant from Pfizer, Inc., the Mini-Med School courses feature lectures from various University medical professors. The seven-week course offers a glimpse into the life of a medical student while educating community members on new research innovations, said Eugene Barrett, associate chair for medical research and a program lecturer.
Now in its eighth year, the program aims to familiarize participants with medical terminology, enhance their knowledge of medicine and present them with insights into new medical research, said Jerry Short, associate dean for medical education and the Mini-Med School program coordinator.
"We started the program in order to give information about medicine and medical research to larger community," Short said.
Topics this year range from hypertension to cranial nerve anatomy, cancer as a genetic disease, cell structure and microbiology, the biology and physiology of aging, as well as an overview of the medical challenges brought on by the AIDS virus.
"Each session provided an excellent overview of the individual subjects which can easily be applied to everyday life," one past participant wrote in his program evaluation.
One section also will divide students into groups, and faculty will guide tours of various medical lab facilities, which will include hands-on experience with research equipment.
Because of the program's high demand and Jordan Hall space limitation, Mini-Med School program coordinators will select applicants by lottery, with a maximum of 139 enrolled students, the typical size of an introductory medical school course.
Although the average age of participants is about 40, faculty said the topics are broad enough to be applicable to all age groups, from high school freshman to senior citizens, Short said.
The program "brings people without a medical background and educates them about day-to-day health concerns, but we give them more in-depth knowledge than they would otherwise get," said Susan Squillace, a family medicine professor and a Mini-Med lecturer.
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