For the first time in its 13-year history, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Mini-Medical School for Kids program was streamed online, allowing over 200 children from Baltimore City and across the country to participate in this year’s cohort.
“This year’s program was like no other,” says Diane Marie St. George, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and public health, MPH program director, and Mini-Medical School for Kids program director. “We had children from here in Baltimore and as far away as Canada logging in each week to learn from our faculty and guest presenters about health and science.”
For five consecutive weeks, students learned about infectious diseases, hand hygiene, nutrition, forensics, DNA, and the importance of physical activity through interactive, two-hour sessions on Zoom. This year’s presenters included Rena Lapidus, PhD, assistant professor of medicine; James Campbell, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health; Mariellen Synan, community outreach manager, and Asunta Henry, community outreach specialist, both from the University of Maryland Medical Center; and Rana DellaRocco, MS, F-ABC, deputy director of forensics, Baltimore Police Department.
These presentations were reinforced with smaller group activities or “breakout sessions” led by 20 UMSOM postdoctoral, medical, and graduate students.
Dr. Fernandes facilitating a group discussion on forensics and DNA.
“It has been a great experience teaching the kids,” says preventive medicine resident and MPH student Eseosa Fernandes, MD. “While the program has had to make some changes, more students now than ever have a taste of what it’s like to be a student at the School of Medicine.”
The 2020 program concluded with a STEM Panel, moderated by Vincent Conroy, PT, DScPT, assistant professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science, which included a mixture of University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) graduate and professional student panelists. Mini-Med students were also honored in a special graduation ceremony with E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president for medical affairs, UMB, and the John and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the School of Medicine.
All 211 graduates received a special gift from Dean Reece and a certificate of completion.
Oriyomi Dawodu, MS, who is communications and public health specialist in the UMSOM Office of Public Affairs & Communications and directs all of the UMSOM community public health education programs, conceived, developed, managed and implemented the virtual Mini-Med School for Kids. She expanded a program, which typically includes 50 children from the local community, and with the help of UMSOM faculty and students, attracted nearly 300 participants to this year’s virtual program — including kids as far as Texas and California, as well as from Mexico and Canada.