(LITTLE ROCK, AR) - Can patients become partners? Arkansas's only medical school has been working for the last decade to help their patients make that transition by hosting five Mini Medical Schools covering such topics as aging, cancer, diabetes and viruses. The upcoming and sixth Mini Medical School will focus on mental illness at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus. The program, "Inward Bound: An Exploration of the Troubled Mind," is free and funded by Pfizer Inc.
"We have one goal that we apply to our Mini Medical Schools: to make sure that the learning is fun," said James Pasley, Ph.D., Director of Educational Advancement in the College of Medicine, a coordinator of the Mini Medical School Program. "An added bonus: no grades and you receive a certificate for your attendance. It's been a lot of fun to spot those certificates that are sometimes framed and displayed in homes and offices. They've been seen in beauty shops, radio stations, grocery stores, exercise classrooms; people are pleased to share their knowledge too. Since people generally talk about their ailments, now they have a better understanding what's causing them and what can be done.
"Everyone wants to live longer and, if possible, enjoy a healthy life. The more you understand the basics of any illness you might have, the more you are motivated to join with your healthcare providers to see it through. All ages from our community finish Mini Medical School with hopeful feelings, and their comments and letters reveal that," Paisley said.
One perfect-attendance student, 81-year old Lena Maude Hoffman, displays her certificates in her beauty parlor. She said, "At my age, I know I must do my part to keep going. If my doctor tells me I've got to take daily medicines, I make sure that I do. I don't miss because it really makes a difference for me to keep steady."
"We've already registered more than 350 people," said Jay H. Menna, Ph.D., coordinator of the program. Menna--a microbiologist and virologist--is the Assistant Dean for Medical Education in the College of Medicine. He said, "Mini Medical School is at the cutting edge of the biomedical sciences and offers the public a contemporary view of where medicine is now and where it will be in the future."
Menna explained, "Whether you're a 7-year-old who wants to become a physician or a 70-year-old who wishes you had, Mini Medical School is the place for you. In fact, Mini Medical School is for anyone who wants to learn more about the science of medicine. Along with those aspiring to be doctors or to work in other healthcare fields, some students attend because of a need to understand an illness or physical condition around which their lives evolve." Here's the lineup of topics and UAMS faculty presenting them: March 4, BASIC SCIENCE & CLINICAL SCIENCE, "The Human Mind: The Final Frontier," Jeff Clothier, M.D.; EPIDEMIOLOGY - PRIMARY CARE STATISTICS, "Starting with the ABC's," JoAnn Kirchner, M.D.; March 11, SCHIZOPHRENIA, "A Stranger in a Strange Land ," Greer Sullivan, M.D.; POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), "I Hear the Cannons Afar," Clay Kelly, M.D.; March 18, AFFECTIVE DISORDERS, "The Faces of Depression," Tim Kimbrell, M.D.; DEPRESSION, "The Mind-Body Connection," Linda Worley, M.D.; March 25, OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), "As Bad As It Gets," Fred Guggenheim, M.D.; SUICIDE, "Life's Darkest Moments," Alan Newman, M.D.; April 1, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, "Drugs of Choice?" Chris Cargile, M.D.; PHYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS, "Medically Managing the Mind," Jeff Clothier, M.D.; April 8, THERAPY, "Let the Healing Begin!"; C. Winston Brown, M.D.; OUTCOMES AND PARITY, "How Psychiatry Measures Up," Rick Smith, M.D.; April 15, presente
Menna added, "We keep expanding our topics to interest a wider audience and draw even more people, many of whom may not have been to the campus before. Our hope is to fill every seat in Education III Building."
"Advances in the biomedical sciences are occurring at an amazing rate. Many of these advances have a real effect on our lives: transplants, implants, gene therapy, wonder drugs, artificial organs, etc. Others open doors to unknown frontiers that promise improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of illness. How do these advances occur? Where are they headed?"
Menna said, "Mini Medical School is our commitment to keeping Arkansas abreast of the 'knowledge explosion' in the health sciences. We selected these faculty presenters because they are knowledgeable about their fields and because they are master communicators with enthusiasm for their subjects, a lively presentation style and a sense of humor. If you're curious by nature and enjoy the fascinating world of medical science, then you're the type of 'student' we're looking for. Tuition is free and the experience is priceless!"
Comments from past typical students were truly encouraging to continue this annual series. A Benton biology teacher, who received continuing education credit for attending, wrote, "These sessions keep me abreast of changes that are occurring in medicine. It is great!"
Fifty-four-year-old Dick Marendt, who owns ARCA, a radio production company, and his wife, Judy, have attended all five years. They wrote, "We especially appreciated getting a chance to ask the speakers questions during breaks and after the lectures and to benefit from their perspective. We need to know what our bodies can and cannot do, so we can take better care of ourselves and work with our doctors."
Charlotte Miles Font, an extension health education specialist for the Cooperative Extension Services, noted, "Thanks for show-casing the UAMS faculty. Any time I work with them, I'm amazed and impressed with their credentials."
Every lecture lasts about 45 minutes. The first lecture of the evening is followed with a refreshment break. After the second lecture, a question and answer session is held.
Each year, Mini Medical School students receive a spiral notebook containing materials provided by the professors. Teachers can earn continuing education credits by attending. All students who attend three or more sessions will receive certificates imprinted with their names.
# # # Media contact: Bonnie Brandsgaard 501-686-8013, [email protected]
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