For many of us, the world of medicine is a mysterious place, but a series of lectures by prominent UTMB physicians and scholars recently provided practical insight on a variety of health care topics.
“Mini Medical School” is a free, public education program designed to familiarize participants with medical terminology, provide insight into biomedical research and ultimately make members of the public better health care consumers.
The concept was developed by the National Institutes of Health in the 1970s and is used by academic health science centers throughout the United States. UTMB’s program, first offered in 1999, has always been wildly popular, and this year was no different.
Participants packed the League City Civic Center for the first presentation on Aug. 12, with a focus on the respiratory system. UTMB presenters were Randall Given, Ph.D., associate professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology; Luca Cicalese, M.D., professor of Surgery; and Joan Nichols, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology. Nichols taught again the following week, Aug. 19, with a presentation on the immune system.
Joining her were A. Scott Lea, M.D., associate professor of Internal Medicine, and Skip Brown, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics.
The series concluded Aug. 26, with an overview of the nervous system by José Barral, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; and Giulio Taglialatela, Ph.D., professor and vice chairman for Research and director of the Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Participants who attended all three sessions received a UTMB Mini Medical School “diploma.”