Mini-Medical School welcomes students
by Kim Miller
MCG will begin its spring semester of Mini-Medical School Feb. 21, providing an open forum between local residents and leading medical experts from MCG and the Augusta area.
The Mini-Medical School faculty will discuss topics ranging from diabetes and kidney failure to avian influenza, emergencies at home and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“The classes are designed so that anyone can attend - our only prerequisite is a desire to learn more about health and medicine,” said Dr. Alan Roberts, MCG professor of medicine.
Participants range in age from teens to senior citizens, and because new issues are covered each semester, former participants are encouraged to attend.
Dr. Alan Roberts created the MCG Mini-Medical School in fall 2003. The first mini-medical school was developed by the National Institutes of Health to help educate the public about science and health care. The concept is so popular that more than 80 similar programs have sprung up across the nation.
“The public wants to know more about their own health and the health of their families,” Dr. Roberts said. “As a major academic medical center in the forefront of research and medical care, located right here in Augusta, we are happy to provide area residents the information they desire.”
Classes will be held from 7-9 p.m. on six consecutive Tuesdays, from Feb. 21 to March 28, in the MCG School of Dentistry auditorium, room 1020. Tuition is free for high school students with identification, $50 for individuals and $75 for families. The fee includes refreshments, supporting materials, an MCG Mini-Medical School T-shirt and a graduation certificate. This activity includes 12 hours of instruction and qualifies for continuing education credits.
Class dates and topics are:
Feb. 21: Dr. Laura Mulloy will discuss kidney failure and end-stage renal disease, and David Brown, physician assistant, will discuss diabetes mellitus.
Feb. 28: Dr. Brian McKinnon, a guest speaker from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, and audiologists Aparna Rao and Gloria Garner will discuss the ear, hearing, hearing loss, testing and hearing aids.
March 7: Drs. James Wilde and Christopher Fry and respiratory therapist Pam Rosema will discuss emergency medicine in the home and give a brief course on CPR.
March 14: Dr. Michael Prisant will discuss high blood pressure and cholesterol, and Dr. David Haburchak will discuss avian influenza and other emerging infections.
March 21: Dr. Bernard Gutin will discuss research on physical activity in relation to diet, and Dr. Warren Karp will discuss nutrition in 2006.
March 28: Drs. Paul Dainer and Abdullah Kutlar will discuss blood composition, anemia, leukemia and multiple myeloma.
Early registration is encouraged. To register, visit www.mcg.edu/ce/MedicalCE/MiniMedSpring06.htm. For more information, contact the MCG Division of Continuing Education at ext.1-3967 or 800-221-6437.