Mini Medical School: Hot Topics in Medical Science

Find out more about real-world developments in medical science

Explore the latest research on important medical issues in this dynamic four-week course. By the end, you’ll be able to separate fact from fiction and get all the answers you need when you visit a medical practice.

Gain insight into health science

The course follows Introduction to Medical Science, which explains the basics of modern medicine. In this course, those building blocks are used as foundational knowledge as you learn about real-world developments.

This translational research (theory-to-practice) approach is applied to immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, and cancer. You’ll get more comfortable with the way health science diagnoses prevents and treats illnesses, making connections between modern medicine theory and application.

Be empowered by modern medicine

With anti-science disinformation spreading more widely all the time, it has become crucial to understand health science. When you visit a medical practice, you need to be able to follow explanations and ask questions to ensure you understand what you’re being told.

That’s exactly what you’ll learn on this course, allowing you to be your own healthcare advocate. During this time of conflicting information on COVID-19, a clear grasp of translational research is arguably more important than ever.

Learn from the best in medical science

On this course, you’ll be taught by Dr JJ Cohen, lead educator and immunologist and founder of the Mini Medical School himself. Dr Cohen has won multiple awards and holds honorary degrees from the Universities of Sherbrooke and McGill.

As well as benefiting from Dr Cohen’s unique approach, you’ll enjoy exceptional course production from Helen MacFarlane. They have collaborated for years, and their experience ensures excellent learning experiences.

This course is designed for anyone who has specific health concerns, wants to communicate better with medical practitioners, or is considering a career in health care.

It will be most beneficial if you have already taken the Introduction to Medical Science course.

This course is designed for anyone who has specific health concerns, wants to communicate better with medical practitioners, or is considering a career in health care.

It will be most beneficial if you have already taken the Introduction to Medical Science course.

• Discuss how to make well-informed decisions about illness, wellness, and life-style choices.
• Identify key clinical features and management strategies of common diseases discussed in the course.
• Reflect on the information gained in this course and how it will impact your interaction with medical professionals in the future.
• Summarize key concepts surrounding immunology, infectious disease, neuroscience, and cancer biology.
• Explain how the immune system deals with damage or disease-causing microbes.
• Identify the general role of mass and T cells in the immune system and their function.
• Discuss the importance of vaccines and immunity in protecting against harmful microbes.
• Describe diseases in which the immune system fails to function in the correct manner.
• Identify clinical features of infections by common pathogens.
• Summarize ways to prevent and treat infection by common pathogens.
• Reflect on the complexity and history of antibiotic resistance.
• Explain the basic structure and function of the brain.
• Summarize the clinical features and management strategies for common diseases that impact brain development or function including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, mood disorders, and autism.
• Describe different treatment options for cancer.
• Summarize lifestyle changes that can lower your risk for cancer.
• Investigate resources available to learn more about cancer and clinical trials.
• Classify brain structures by function.