Mini Medical School

Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove

Register Today!

Mini Medical School is a four-week medical education program open to anyone in the community interested in personal and public healthcare issues. It is an opportunity to learn about topics discussed in medical school.

Each lecture is presented by a health care professional at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois. Midwestern University is the home of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, and College of Dental Medicine-Illinois.

Mini Medical School welcomes students from the community of all ages (adult, college, and high school) who are interested in learning about interesting and important healthcare topics.

Dates and Topics : Winter/Spring 2013

Sessions will be held on Thursday, February 21, 28, and March 7th and 14th in Room 202, Alumni Hall.  The session starts at 6:30 p.m. and will end by 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

"A tour through your armpit: the contents of the axilla and their role in upper limb function.

This lecture will introduce students to the axilla, or, as it is more commonly known - the armpit. The axilla is a relatively small region of the body, but one that is vitally important as nearly all of the nerves and blood vessels that supply the shoulder, pectoral region, and upper limb pass through it. Some of the typical injuries that affect this region will be discussed, in addition to their influence on upper limb function.

Speaker: Dr. David J. Green is an Assistant Professor of Anatomy in the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Dental Medicine-Illinois; he has been with Midwestern University since August 2011. Dr. Green obtained his Ph.D. in Hominid Paleobiology from The George Washington University and B.A. in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy from Duke University."

Thursday, February 28, 2013

An Introduction to Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine in Family Medicine

This lecture will provide an introduction to osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) in addition to osteopathic philosophy and principles. The concept of somatic dysfunction will be discussed and several osteopathic medicine techniques will be introduced that can be applied in everyday family medicine. Take-home exercises that can be taught to patients to complement OMM techniques will be presented.

 Speaker: Elise B. Halajian, DO is a Faculty Development Fellow at the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program and serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of OMM at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She holds board certifications from the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and the American Board of Family Medicine in Family Medicine. While at CCOM, she completed a pre-doctoral teaching fellowship in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.

 Thursday, March 7, 2013

Overserved? An Interactive Medical School Case

A 19 yr old female presents to the ER with chief complaints of severe headache, nausea and vomiting. Exposure to the clinical thinking process begins in the first year of osteopathic medical school. In this interactive "paper patient" case format used in our medical physiology course, attendees are the physicians and will generate a differential diagnosis and work through this 19 yr old's complaint as details of the patient history, physical exam and laboratory tests are revealed in a step-wise manner. A discussion of the disordered physiological function underlying the diagnosis will wrap up this session.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Going with the Flow: An Infectious Diseases Perspective of the Gastrointestinal Tract   

The lecture will focus on infections and immunity of the stomach, upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.   The process of stomach ulcer formation will be discussed in addition to the common foods and their associated gastrointestinal disturbances.  Topics in health protection, as they relate to diarrheal disease will also be presented.

Speaker: Dr. Balbina Plotkin has been a professor in the Department of Microbiology at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University for the past 25 yrs.  As a faculty member she teaches infectious diseases, and has an active program of research on hormone- microbial interactions and bacterial communication.  

Location:  Room 202, Alumni Hall

All classes are held on the campus of Midwestern University at 555 31st Street in Downers Grove, IL. Free parking is also available. Visit Mapquest for directions

Cost

The cost for the four-week program is $25. Participants are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Sign up today.

Need more information?

Call 630/515-6048 and ask for Lisa, or e-mail us at minimed@midwestern.edu