Lubbock area residents are invited to become charter members of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Community Medical School - a series of public lectures and demonstrations exploring transformative advances in medical knowledge and technology.
“In a very real sense, this program will open the doors of the Health Sciences Center as we share with the community the wonders of the human body and our passion for discovery,” said TTUHSC President John C. Baldwin, M.D.
“Our goal is to help people learn about the remarkable and exciting gains that are taking place in our knowledge of human biology, and how these are translating, with breath-taking speed, into advances in medical care and treatment. At the same time, we hope to convey to our community the distinctive mission and challenges of an academic medical center, as well as some sense of the medical school experience,” Baldwin added.
The Community Medical School is similar to a program Baldwin created at Dartmouth Medical School 10 years ago.
“Similar to my experience at Dartmouth, the Community Medical School will be a permanent fixture at the Health Sciences Center, woven into the fabric of Lubbock’s vibrant culture,” Baldwin said. “To this day, the program at Dartmouth is successful because the public has an intense hunger for information regarding advances in medical research. Generating and sharing such promising new knowledge is an integral part of our mission at the Health Sciences Center, particularly as we explore the practical applications these advancements have to each person’s health care.”
Community Medical School courses are open to all, regardless of background or experience, from high school students to senior citizens. Students will receive a comprehensive syllabus with lecture notes, supplemental materials, and suggested reading, as well as a certificate of completion for the series. Participants can remain for further questions and discussion with faculty after each session. Booths, various health screenings, and demonstrations will be provided as well.
The inaugural semester begins Tuesday, April 15, with an interactive presentation on the physical exam by School of Medicine Dean Steven Berk, M.D. Berk will demonstrate what the physician looks for as the examination takes place.
The inaugural semester will continue on consecutive Tuesday evenings through May 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This fall, the Community Medical School will be scheduled throughout the full academic year.
Topics and presenters for the inaugural semester are as follows:
April 15th “Exposing the Physical Examination – What your Doctor is Doing and Why” Steven Berk, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine
April 22nd “Cancer 101” Everardo Cobos, M.D., associate dean for Oncology Programs and professor for the Department of Internal Medicine for the School of Medicine.
April 29th “Cognition and Aging –Are Senior Moments Inevitable?” Randolph Schiffer, M.D., chair of the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science.
May 6th “How do you operate on a moving heart that keeps you alive? Heart surgery in 2008” John C. Baldwin, M.D., president of TTUHSC
Registration is available online at www.ttuhsc.edu/communitymedicalschool, or by calling 806-743-2008. Registration is $20 for the inaugural spring semester, which consists of four lectures.
All sessions are at the TTUHSC Academic Classroom Building 3601 Fourth Street Room 100. Valet parking will be available at the north entrance to the building.
