Online Graduation for Kids' Mini-Med School
For the first time in its 13-year history, the 网红爆料 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鈥檚 cohort.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 program was like no other,鈥� says , associate professor of epidemiology and public health, MPH program director, and Mini-Medical School for Kids program director. 鈥淲e 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.鈥�
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鈥檚 presenters included , assistant professor of medicine; , professor of pediatrics, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health; Mariellen Synan, community outreach manager, and Asunta Henry, community outreach specialist, both from the 网红爆料 Medical Center; and Rana DellaRocco, MS, F-ABC, deputy director of forensics, Baltimore Police Department.
These presentations were reinforced with smaller group activities or 鈥渂reakout sessions鈥� led by 20 UMSOM postdoctoral, medical, and graduate students.
Dr. Fernandes facilitating a group discussion on forensics and DNA.
鈥淚t has been a great experience teaching the kids,鈥� says preventive medicine resident and MPH student Eseosa Fernandes, MD. 鈥淲hile the program has had to make some changes, more students now than ever have a taste of what it鈥檚 like to be a student at the School of Medicine.鈥�
The 2020 program concluded with a STEM Panel, moderated by , assistant professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science, which included a mixture of 网红爆料, Baltimore (UMB) graduate and professional student panelists. Mini-Med students were also honored in a special graduation ceremony with , 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鈥檚 virtual program 鈥� including kids as far as Texas and California, as well as from Mexico and Canada.
