UConn Offers Medical Lectures

FARMINGTON — Mini-Medical School will be back in session at the University of Connecticut Health Center starting March 28. The lecture series, which first began in 1992, is designed to introduce the public to the basic sciences underlying today’s medical knowledge and to familiarize laypersons with an overview of medical topics and the basic sciences.

“We are very pleased to offer this program to our community again,” said Bruce Koeppen, UConn School of Medicine dean for academic affairs and education. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to learn more about the causes and treatment of disease and to become better-informed health-care consumers and ultimately active participants in their health care.”

The six-week program will focus on such topics as genetics, viral diseases, biology and ethics, among others. UConn School of Medicine faculty will present the lectures, which are very similar to a medical school class, but presented in simpler terminology. “These lectures also give the public an opportunity to learn about medical school curriculum and the importance of science as it relates to medical knowledge,” said Dr Loeppen.

The UConn School of Medicine mini-medical school concept was originally one of two such programs in the nation. Since then, it has become a model for many other medical schools around the country.

Mini-Medical School will be held every Tuesday for six weeks, March 28 through May 2, from 7 to 9 pm in the medical school’s Blue Auditorium lecture hall adjacent to the academic entrance lobby. To register, call UConnLink locally at 679-7692 or 1-800-535-6232. A payment of $30 will be required to cover the cost of materials.