UW News

January 22, 2009

Mini-Medical School begins Feb. 3

UW Medicine’s Mini-Medical School, a six-session evening program offered each year at the UW, will begin on Feb. 3 and run through March 10. Registration is required and a donation to UW Medicine is requested in lieu of a registration fee.


The programs are designed to be interesting and accessible for a public audience. The topics range from the structure of medical school to advances in trauma care and an analysis of current issues at the Food & Drug Administration. Participants will also have a chance to try some hands-on activities, such as simulated surgery.


Host faculty members for all the sessions this year are Dr. Joann Elmore, professor of medicine and head of general internal medicine at Harborview Medical Center, and Dr. Hugh Foy, professor of surgery, director of the Surgical Specialties Center at Harborview and head of the Wind River College in the School of Medicine. All of the presenters are UW faculty members.


All of the sessions are from 7 to 9 p.m., Tuesdays, in Hogness Auditorium of the UW Health Sciences Building.


Feb. 3
Welcome & Introductions to Mini-Med School

The Road to Becoming a Doctor

Explore the process of becoming a doctor from application to admission, the first and second years of basic science education, to the third year of clinical education and “clerkships.” Just what happens in the final years as interns, residents and fellows? Learn surgical principles and skills and try your hand at simulated surgery.

With Drs. Larry Robinson, Joann Elmore and Hugh Foy.


Feb. 10
Dangerous Business: Workplace Hazards

A myriad of causes lead to environmental illness. Some 100,000 chemicals are in common workplace use today. Learn how workplace hazards are identified and what solutions are available to prevent or reduce injuries and health concerns. Explore the most common of occupational injuries — carpal tunnel syndrome and its related disorders.

With Drs. Christopher Allan and Matthew Keifer.


Feb. 17
The Eyes Have It: The Modern Medicine of Vision

The eye is an extraordinary sensory organ, remarkably adapted to extracting crucial information from the environment. Diseases of the eye substantially degrade the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In these lectures we will discuss the leading causes of blindness, their symptoms and the current and emerging treatments.

With Drs. Russ Van Gelder and Tueng Shen.


Feb. 24
Breathtaking Advances: A Better Life for Those with Lung Injury and Lung Cancer

Survival and quality of life has vastly improved for those fighting acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and lung cancer. Learn how physicians at UW Medicine have made great strides in managing these diseases and what new and promising treatments are coming out of the Northwest.

With Drs. Len Hudson and Renato Martins.


March 3
Prescription for Change at the FDA: A View from the Other Washington

Does the Food & Drug Administration need more rigorous reviews and trials before approving drugs and devices? Should the agency change the process for evaluating safety and effectiveness after products hit the market? What are the political and scientific forces that shape the context for FDA decision-making and how can the clinical and public health communities be included in the discussion?

With Drs. Bruce Psaty and Larry Kessler.


March 10
Saving Your Life: Medical Miracles and Heroes

Technological breakthroughs and hybrid approaches to repairing abdominal aortic and brain aneurysms can mean the difference between life and death. These emergent, life-threatening conditions have been successfully treated by UW Medicine physicians who are leading the way surgically repairing these once devastating anomolies.

With Drs. Laligam Sekhar and Benjamin Starnes.


For more information, to register and to make a donation, see the Web site at http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/