How to Start and Conduct a Mini Med School

You need to know who your target audience is. We had planned originally to invite a group of people identified as potential donors, volunteers, supporters, etc., but a local newspaper ran the story ("Have You Always Wanted to Know What Your Doctor Knows?"), and we had more than 1,200 applicants before we even had a chance to mail out invitations. We then changed directions, aiming the series at the general public, and abandoning fund-raising as a primary goal.

The people who attend the eight-week program, do so for four reasons: They are genuinely interested in learning about health care; or they have a particular disease and want to ask questions about it; or they are coming because it sounds interesting and it is free, or they have a family member in the health field and want to understand what they are talking about. Several years ago, a newspaper ran an article featuring a very bright 12-year-old girl who came to all the classes; afterward, we were swamped with requests from high school and middle school students. In the past few years, we have partnered with the local high schools, and have about 200 of their students each evening, in a separate room on campus and accompanied by their own teachers.

We try hard to convince the audience that they can understand even the most arcane ideas if the speaker (or their doctor) will only take the time to explain it in everyday words. Many have told us that Mini Med School has changed, for the good, the way they interact with their health-care providers.

First of all, you need a dedicated, if not a fanatic, an organizer who will make the program his or her own. This is NOT something a Dean can tell a secretary, however talented, to arrange! Ideally, the organizer will be one of the teachers, so that any advice he or she gives the other teachers will be taken seriously.

The teachers, all volunteers, make or break the program. The lecturers are either PhDs or MDs, who have to be able to explain things in simplified, but not condescending language. This requires good judgment and lots of experience; in general, the teachers who have been faculty members for a while are better.

It is no good to say, "Retinoblastoma's etiology involves the inactivation of an anti-oncogene." It's just as bad to say, "Retinoblastoma happens when the good genes are outnumbered by the bad genes." You have to be able, if possible, to say instinctively, "Retinoblastoma is caused by the loss of both copies of a gene whose role seems to be to prevent tumors" and go on to consider why in the world evolution would have provided such genes and, more amazingly, others that actually cause cancer. You don't, obviously, have to cover everything, but what you do cover needs to constitute an engaging story. The audience has to be able to share in the excitement.

In 1995 we started delivering the series by simulcast to Grand Junction, Colorado. This 2-way telephone-line based system was popular but very costly. In the last 10 years, we have used the Internet to send the lectures live to up to 15 sites around Colorado, adding 1,000 people to our audience (in addition to the 400 adults and 200 high school students on campus.) People at the remote sites email or Tweet their questions, which are read to the speaker for real-time responses during the question-and-answer session by volunteer medical students.

The cost is currently about $25,000/year; most of that is associated with the remote sites. We have not charged the audience any fees.

On the last day, a graduation party is held and everyone is given a "diploma". There is no continuing education credit given, but most attendees tell us they treasure the diploma anyway. When budgets were more generous we had hot and cold hors-d'oeuvres and fine desserts. Now we make do with soft drinks and cake from the local big-box store (which is actually delicious, and much appreciated, especially by our high school friends.)

Running the Mini Med requires teamwork. It is essential that it be the teachers’ program; they must decide the subjects and the format and who will teach. External pressure – to include a famous investigator who’s a poor teacher or someone’s favorite subject – must be resisted vigorously. If the teachers are in charge of the program, they will resist the organization’s natural tendency to market to the audience. The audience is highly sensitive to marketing and will stop attending.

The other teams should be from public or community relations if possible, and educational support services. PR does everything: invitations, publicity, admissions, mailings, food, diplomas, T-shirts. Without a great PR person as your partner, it will be difficult to manage. Some years ago PR withdrew its support (budget again) and the team we have assembled almost entirely of volunteers, who work extraordinarily hard for the love of the program. We are immeasurably aided by a team of second-year medical students, whose reward is a slice of pizza and a promise that we will "write them letters that will get them the residency of their choice". In many cases, they, and their parents have attended the Mini Med School themselves. Educational support services provide the hall, projectionists, engineers to run the satellite links, video camera operators, fax links, and remote site support. If all members of the team respect and trust each other, it will run like a dream.