Contact: Mary Beth Gentry, KU Medical Center, (913) 588-5412.
LAWRENCE - If you've ever left your doctor's office with more questions than answers, then the University of Kansas mini medical school program is for you.
The eight-week course begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, in Rieke Auditorium at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., and continues Tuesdays to Oct. 24.
If you don't live in northeast Kansas, you can attend the courses via teleconference at satellite sites in Garden City, Hays and Pittsburg. The sessions last approximately two hours.
Program participants will hear presentations from Medical Center faculty, researchers, teachers and clinicians, who will discuss a number of topics typically studied by KU medical students. These topics include the brain and the nervous system, medical genetics in the human genome era, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, depression, cancer and aging. New topics scheduled for discussion this year include the role of the coroner in death investigations, and bioterrorism and germ warfare, among others.
Dr. Deborah Powell, executive dean and vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the Medical Center, said the program would not only inform participants about medical issues, it also would help people become more effective partners with their personal physicians.
"We see this program as a real partnership with the community," she said. "People are becoming more and more knowledgeable and sophisticated about their health. We want these programs to give them a perspective on medicine they don't always have."
The course material will be presented in an understandable format, Powell said. After completing the course, participants will have a better understanding of how biomedical research eventually becomes medical practice. They'll also know the basic concepts and terms needed to understand news stories on medical research, and techniques for assuring good health.
The courses at the satellite sites are being offered through the KU Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). Locations for the satellite sites are:
- Garden City: Finnup Center for Conservation Education, Lee Richards Zoo.
To register, call (316) 275-0259.
- Hays: Northwest Kansas Area Health Education Center, 217 E. 32nd St.
To register, call (785) 628-6128.
- Pittsburg: Pittsburg State University Technology Center.
To register, call (316) 235-4040.
Tuition at Hays and Pittsburg is $50, or $7 per session. Tuition at Garden City has been waived, thanks to sponsorship provided by St. Catherine's Hospital.
Tuition at the KU Medical Center is $95. A limited number of scholarships are available for all sites. Refreshments will be served at the classes.
To register for courses at the KU Medical Center, call (913) 588-1227 or register online at http://www.kumc.edu/som/minimed/