19th Annual Mini-Med School Celebrates Graduation

Since 2001, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) has extended free health screenings and medical education to nearly 8,000 Marylanders of all ages, from elementary school students to their grandparents, through its Mini-Medical “Mini-Med” School programs.

Now in its 19^th year, over 200 members from the community registered for this year’s fall Mini-Med School program. The program included a collection of educational sessions on the topics of diabetes, heart health, cancer prevention and detection, Hepatitis C, and a special presentation on the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

A recent study found that 42 percent of Baltimore City adults had experienced at least three traumatic events such as extreme poverty, incarceration, domestic violence, discrimination, and substance abuse while as children. ACEs are often associated with an increased risk for physical, mental, and behavioral problems later in life.

“Experiences that cause stress chemicals to be continuously produced have a big impact on the development of brain cells and the connections among cells,” says Kathleen Connors, MSW, LCSW-C, who is an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Center of Excellence in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health at UMSOM. “Toxic stress can affect brain interaction with body systems and lead to disease, disability and social problems throughout the life course.”

Instructor Connors was among eight other UMSOM faculty presenters for this year’s program, including Michael Miller, MD, FACC, FAHA, Professor of Medicine; Kristi Silver, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; Rodney Taylor, MD, MSPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery; Sandra Quezada, MD, MS, Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions & Assistant Dean for Academic and Multicultural Affairs, Associate Professor of Medicine; Zaineb Makhzoumi, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Dermatology; Kyle Yost, DO, Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine; Shana Ntiri, MD, Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine; and Paula Rosenblatt, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine.

These presentations concluded with a special graduation ceremony in which each participant was presented with a certificate of completion from Dean E. Albert Reece.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. The School has over 2,500 students, residents, and fellows, and more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total workforce of nearly 7,000 individuals. The combined School and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8^th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

Mini-Med School 2019