What is Mini Medical School?
The UC Riverside School of Medicine's Mini Medical School (MMS) is a pathway program that helps students, including those from educationally and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to build their skills as they prepare for careers in the health industry. Founded in 2013, the UCR School of Medicine MMS was a response to the physician shortage and growing health gap within Inland Southern California and allows students to create and present culturally and linguistically appropriate and actionable health education programs to community members in community settings.
The MMS at UCR is adapted from the program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where medical students and faculty invited members of their communities to come to the medical school to learn about diseases and public health. In contrast, the UCR School of Medicine program takes its presentations to the community. This allows our MMS to bring students together to benefit the community and help them live the UCR School of Medicine mission: to serve the underserved.
How Mini Medical School Works
Under the leadership of an executive board of student officers and advisors, MMS consists of a core group of volunteer UCR undergraduates, post-baccalaureate students, and medical students dedicated to service. Faculty and medical residents offer the students feedback on the content of their presentations. The program has also been expanded to include faculty and teacher supervisors from the UCR Graduate School of Education, who review the presentations for clarity and presentation style and skills, also providing guidelines for lesson plans.
Past presentations have been made on a host of topics of interest to the community, all related to improving the health or education of the public, including:
- Diabetes
- Oral health
- Nutrition
- Asthma
Each presentation team is typically less than ten students and includes either a medical student or a post-baccalaureate student who assists the team's undergraduate students. Each group decides which students will present, but all students assist with the research and development of the materials so the workload is distributed equally. Presentations are done using several mediums, such as PowerPoint presentations, demonstrations, brochures, or other materials.
How to Get Involved
Students can help fulfill our mission by joining our organization to take part in an active group or lead a project.
Those interested in booking MMS can also inquire with our leadership board.
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