Mini Medical School Lets Public Sample the Doctor's Art

As part of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s mission of community outreach, the College’s Center for Science Education (CSE) runs an ongoing series of classes that allow attendees to experience, in brief, the types of work that doctors perform as part of their daily responsibilities. Geared toward lay people and called the “Mini Medical School,” the lecture-and-laboratory classes have generated a good deal of interest among community members and the press.

The program was started in 1995 to help the Medical College provide the community with current information on recent developments in health care. Each Mini Medical series focuses on a different theme – such as men's and women's health issues – and is typically held one or two evenings per week for 4 to 8 weeks.

Pattie Chiconas, Program Coordinator II of the Mini Medical School, says that the program is meant to provide the latest information in topic areas including genetics, sports medicine, cancer and cardiovascular health. No prerequisites or medical skills are needed for those who want to attend the classes. In fact, they are tailored to lay people who have an interest in medicine and science. In addition, Ms. Chiconas points out, the audience often includes individuals who wish to learn more about their own medical issues or those of their family, friends or other loved ones.

Experts Teach “Medical Detectives”
Medical College of Wisconsin clinical and research faculty members deliver the lectures, lead discussions and answer participants' questions at each Mini Medical School session. This provides a unique opportunity for community members to interact with some of the best and brightest scientists and physicians available.

Suzette Svoboda-Newman, MS, Associate Director of the Center, has had extensive training in chemistry and research. She oversees the CSE teaching team and coordinates technology efforts. “The members of our faculty and staff are fully dedicated to the mission of the Medical College and CSE regarding community outreach,” she affirms.

The classes teach scientific techniques and also explore the more intuitive aspects of medical work. “We combine both the technical and creative aspects of disease detection to give attendees an experience that’s challenging but fun,” notes Ms. Chiconas. In one series, for instance, class members help to establish the medical histories of on-staff CSE “patients,” then participate in a study of symptoms to determine the likely cause of their illnesses. “It’s a process that encourages attendees to use what they’ve learned in a practical setting, and to experience first-hand what it’s like to work as a ‘medical detective.’”

Ms. Chiconas emphasizes that even though the classes are based on medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology and the disease process, they use language and presentation styles that are accessible to people who haven’t had previous medical education or training. As long as attendees are interested in the topic area, she says, they will be able to gain a better understanding of the methods by which doctors and other medical professionals uncover health problems.

Students Can Develop Medical Skills in Summer Courses
During the summer, the Center for Science Education offers a Mini Medical School series designed especially for high school students and those entering college. “Laboratory Skills 101” provides students with training in lab techniques and in detecting the underlying causes of patient illnesses. It stresses hands-on lab activities and includes segments on sterile technique, bioassay, bacteriology, chromatography and electrophoresis. The program goes beyond the topics and lab sessions typically offered in secondary schools, and students who have a strong interest in science and medicine are encouraged to attend.

In addition to the Mini Medical School, the CSE is involved in many other areas of community education and outreach. Medical College of Wisconsin faculty and CSE staff work with grade schools and with Wisconsin teachers to promote science and medical knowledge. The K-9 program includes A Day As a Scientist, in which students "learn by doing" and examine actual preserved specimens, extract real DNA, design and perform experiments, and analyze data...all in the same labs used by Medical College graduate and medical students. The Science On Wheels program brings the Center's teaching staff and materials to area classrooms so students and teacher can experience hands-on science without leaving school.

The Center for Science Education also created an educational website that supports the Milwaukee Public Museum's special exhibition, Epidemic! The World of Infectious Disease. The web site offers interactive opportunities for visitors to explore the world of infectious disease.

The Center for Science Education is developing a curriculum on smoking cessation for middle school and high school students. Through hands-on, inquiry-based activities and use of molecular models, students will explore the nature of cell growth and division, how that growth is controlled, and the effect of tobacco carcinogens that lead to the development of cancer.

The Future of CSE and the Mini Medical School
Maggi Cage, PhD, Director of the Center for Science Education, says a major goal of the CSE is to expand the content and the reach of its services. “In an increasingly technology-oriented society, a basic understanding of science and technology is essential to maintain a technically competent workforce,” she notes. “By building solid partnerships both within the Medical College of Wisconsin and with the science and education community throughout the state, CSE can be the focal point for significant change in science education, as well as an important resource for educational professionals in our region and nation-wide.”

The Center for Science Education has a strong, established reputation for providing integrated science education programs for elementary, middle and high school students, science teachers and interested adults. Since the Center’s inception in 1992, thousands have participated in CSE programs. Mini-Medical School programs have brought current issues in medicine and health to the general public and CSE has worked with many Milwaukee Public schools to both develop and enhance science curricula. “An important component of teacher preparedness is access to new and ever-changing educational materials,” says Maggi Cage. “The Center is already a leader in curriculum development in southeastern Wisconsin, and we recognize the potential for reaching schools and programs outside this area, both in formal and informal education.”

As the Center for Science Education grows over the next five years, its faculty and staff hope to build on the Center’s strengths. In addition to the programs CSE already offers, new initiatives being developed will allow CSE to reach a greater range of Wisconsin citizens, helping to increase science literacy statewide.

The next Mini Medical School starts on October 9 and runs until November 20. Attendees will explore the topic of “Healthy Aging.” Topics planned for lecture and discussion include Social Aspects of Aging, Physiology, Memory, Successful Aging, Osteoporosis, Women's Health & Aging and End of Life Issues. For more information on this and other Mini Medical School programs and other Center for Science Education initiatives or to register for a session of the Mini Medical School, visit the CSE website or contact Pattie Chiconas at 414-456-4621.

Eileen Early, RN, BSN
HealthLink Editor

MCW Health News presents up-to-date information on patient care and medical research by the physicians of the Medical College of Wisconsin.