Mini Medical School connects Florida science and health teachers with College of Medicine experts
Program aims to increase statewide interest in health and science careers
May 2, 2024 — Science and health educators from more than 20 counties across the state recently gathered at the University of Florida to meet College of Medicine experts and experience lab demonstrations, participate in hand-on activities and learn about the latest research advances, gaining knowledge and skills to bring back to their students and classrooms.
Known as Mini Medical School, the one-day immersive program gives Florida secondary school, health and vocational educators the opportunity to broaden their understanding of important health science topics through instruction and interaction with leading health care professionals and researchers. Hosted by the UF Center for Precollegiate Education and Training, or CPET, and funded by the UF Medical Guild, the event focuses on timely biomedical sciences topics and equips participants with the skills to enhance their classroom experience and share recent breakthroughs with their colleagues and students.
Mary Jo Koroly, Ph.D., Director of CPET
“It is gratifying to have teachers join us from all over the state, including some who travel from very far distances, to explore recent discoveries and technologies that are changing medicine by ameliorating illness and improving human health,” said Mary Jo Koroly, Ph.D., director of CPET and research associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology with the College of Medicine. “Our kids are going to be taking care of us one day, and what these teachers are doing in their classrooms is going to inspire them to enter the health professions and make a lasting impact on so many people the future.”
Sciences teachers from across the state attended this year's Mini Medical School to learn about the latest research and technological advancements in cardiology.
Although Mini Medical School has been held continuously each semester since 1996, the event has been reformatted and is now a key component of the newly established UF Health Academy for Science and Careers. Developed in 2022 as an alliance between CPET and UF Health, the academy promotes K-16 student and teacher health science education throughout Florida and creates STEM career pathways. Since then, College of Medicine and UF Health faculty, staff and students have taken on a greater role in CPET-affiliated programs, including Mini Medical School.
This year’s Mini Medical School highlighted advances in cardiology, with participants hearing lectures from three College of Medicine faculty and attending hands-on breakout sessions. Sessions included a electocardiogram demonstration at the advanced magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy facility, guided instruction on best-practices in CPR and activities for teaching cardiology to pre-collegiate students.
More than 40 educators attended from 20 Florida counties, including Orange, Marion, Clay Sarasota, Broward, Duval, Seminole, St. Johns, Pinellas and Hillsborough. Not only was the information gleaned from UF experts invaluable, participants said, but the collaboration with fellow science and health teachers also sparked ideas for elevating classroom activities and advancing student interest in health careers.
“I have incredible students who are eager to learn about science and medicine, and seeing that excitement is the reason for what I do,” said Jennifer Carroll, a Sarasota science teacher who attended Mini Medical School for the first time this year. “By going to this program at UF, I get to pay forward all the knowledge they give to me, and my students are going to pay forward what I give them.”
Jennifer Carroll (center) receiving the Sarasota High School Teacher of the Year Award, surrounded by her administrators.
In her classes, she tries to instill a love for medicine, focusing on how particular fields of science can maximize job capabilities and career trajectories. She also advises a student club dedicated to health care opportunities and was named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by Sarasota High School, where she has taught biology and honors anatomy and physiology for five years.
For Carroll, attending UF’s Mini Medical School provided an opportunity to experience state-of-the-art technologies, build connections and reinvigorate the classroom experience.
“Meeting with so many experts and fellow teachers not only gives me great ideas, but allows me to implement those ideas to bring the classroom to life and ultimately motivate my students to pursue higher education,” she said.
Mini Medical School is supported by the UF Medical Guild, a philanthropic organization formed in 1959 to support UF Health and the communities it serves. The group provides $5,000 annually for this event, with the entirety of the funds raised coming from guild members volunteering at the UF Health Shands Hospital gift shop and receiving an annual disbursement for their hours worked. Since its inception, the guild has distributed more than $2.5 million to charitable causes and has supported numerous endowments for College of Medicine and UF Health programs.
“It is an honor for the Medical Guild to have supported the Mini Medical School program since its start in 1996,” said Sharon Kosboth, president of the UF Medical Guild. “It is beautiful to see all these dedicated science teachers take these advances in the medical sciences back to the community to inspire their young students.”
