Mini Med School aims for better educated patients

With the Dalhousie program in its fourth year, students of all ages gather in the classroom to learn more from health professionals.

Registered nurses Wanda White and Linda Mosher prepare a simulated demonstration of how to insert an IV line.

Few seats were left empty at the Dalhousie Mini Med School lecture on Thursday, Oct. 29.  The guest speakers were Dr. John Tallon and Bruce Holmes, executive director of the Learning Resource Centre at Dal’s Faculty of Medicine.

Tallon’s topic was trauma and injury, while Holmes talked afterwards about training medical students by using simulated patients. 

Nurses Linda Mosher and Wanda White, from the Learning Resource Centre, were also there with Holmes and answering students’ questions and giving medical demonstrations.

Holmes explains why learning about simulated patient training is useful for anyone at Mini Med School – not just medical students.

“When people go see their doctor, maybe they’ll think about bringing a list,” he says.  “Maybe they’ll learn how to describe themselves a little better and how they’re feeling.”

Communication between patients and doctors is an important part of the training, he says.

Many people who attend enjoy not just learning about health issues, but the research that goes into it, says Dr. Doug Sinclair, chief of emergency at the IWK Health Centre and associate dean of Continuing Medical Education at Dalhousie.

Victoria Adderson and Natasha Fraser, 21-year-old students at the Nova Scotia Community College, have similar reasons for signing up.  While Adderson says she wants to take nursing at Dal, Fraser says she’s interested in doing the medical laboratory technology program at NSCC.

Adderson says the lectures are an, “opening of what Dal’s teaching is like and how the classes work.”

It’s the second year that Isabel Steeves, a senior, has attended Dalhousie’s Mini Med School.  While she worked in a doctor’s office for roughly 15 years, Steeves says one of the reasons she came back is for the variety of topics.

“It’s very interesting and up to date,” says Steeves.  “I like to further my knowledge and understanding.  It makes you more aware of your health.”

Mini Med School gives students an idea of what medical school is really like, says Dr. Sinclair.  Students have to go to five of the six lectures to get a certificate, he explains. 

It’s the fourth year for the mini med school at Dal and with 104 people of all ages signed up for the six-week program this year, coordinator Mary Ann Robinson says some had to be turned-down because of limited space. 

The mini med school idea has been around for roughly 10 years, explains Dr. Sinclair.  He says the first university in Canada to have one was McGill.

Dr. Sinclair says people have a responsibility to learn about some of the bigger health issues today.  That’s where Dal’s Mini Med School comes in. 

“There’s so much information right now.  How do you sift through it and get reasonable opinions?  That’s a real challenge,” he says.  “We hope in some small way we’re contributing.” 

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