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Mini-med school narrows focus
Popular series to focus fall program on treatment, prevention of heart disease
By KEVIN FRYLING
Reporter Staff Writer
The Mini-Medical School, the enormously popular lecture series dealing with subjects traditionally covered in medical school but geared to a general audience, will take a different tack this fall and focus on one topic that is vitally important to Western New Yorkers.
The four-session program, which will be held on Wednesday evenings, beginning Oct. 24, will examine the treatment and prevention of heart disease, a major cause of death in Western New York. The series is a public service of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
"Cardiology in Depth" will look at the conditions associated with or which result from cardiac illness, as well as breakthroughs in medical treatments of the disease.
"By devoting the fall program to discussing different aspects of [heart disease], we accomplish two goals—serving the needs and interests of the community and shining the spotlight on the accomplishments of UB's talented medical faculty," said Roseanne Berger, director of the program and senior associate dean for graduate medical education.
She pointed out the topic is particularly relevant to residents of Western New York because the region suffers from one of the highest rates of heart disease in the nation.
Although there have been slight declines in heart disease-related deaths in Western New York, Berger explained that local mortality rates remain about 15 percent higher than the state average. Moreover, Niagara and Erie counties report higher rates of death from heart disease than less populated counties in the region. She said a recent NBC newscast quoted 388 deaths in 10,000 in Niagara County.
The fact that UB's Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth tracks cardiovascular health as one of its top 10 health indicators also illustrates the need to improve these numbers, she added.
Some experts attribute the elevated rates of heart disease in the region to lifestyle factors, such as diet, lack of exercise and smoking, said Berger.
"A major factor is simply the age of our population," she said.
Organizers chose to focus on cardiac issues in response to feedback from past participates in the Mini-Medical School program, said Berger. For nine years now the popular program has provided individuals without medical backgrounds the chance to learn about new advances in health and medicine from top educators and researchers in the field.
"The audience will hear from faculty engaged in cutting-edge treatments," said Berger. These include the use of magnification to perform intricate arterial repairs and new technologies that enable anesthesiologists to better monitor cardiac patients in the operating room. Also on the agenda are topics related to prevention, such as the relationship between sleep apnea and heart disease, and the atypical symptoms that can signal heart disease in women.
"The students also will learn about ongoing research into cardiovascular muscle cell death conducted in UB research labs," said Berger.
The program will conclude with an introduction to the basics of life-support techniques, including the use of external defibrillators, which now are found in most public places.
Individuals of all ages are encouraged to participate in the Mini-Medical School program. Berger noted that students interested in medical school often take part in the program "to get a taste of what lies ahead."
The program in sponsored by the late Esther and Don Davis.
All lectures will be held from 7-9 p.m. in Butler Auditorium, 150 Farber Hall, South Campus. Cost is $40 for individuals, $50 for couples, $25 for seniors, $45 for senior couples and $20 for students. Enrollment is limited to the first 300 registrants. Reading and reference materials are provided.
For more information or to register, visit http://www.smbs. buffalo.edu/minimed or contact Mechelle Lumpkin at 829-2196 or at mlumpkin@buffalo.edu.
Specific topics and presenters are:
Oct. 24: "Cardiothoracic Surgery," John Bell-Thompson, clinical assistant professor of surgery.
Oct. 31: "Medical Management of Coronary Disease: Dispelling Myths," William E. Boden, professor of medicine and public health, and "Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease," Eric Tenbrock, professor of clinical medicine.
Nov. 7: "Can We Repair a Broken Heart?" John M. Canty Jr., Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Professor of Medicine and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and "Cardiovascular Anesthesia: A New and Evolving Field in Cardiovascular Medicine," Nader D. Nader, associate professor of anesthesiology and pathology.
Nov. 14: "Cardiovascular Physiology Illustrated and Elucidated," Perry Hogan, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and "Introduction to Life Support Techniques for the Layman," Cameron Schmidt, critical care education specialist, and Teresa Arquette, CPR coordinator.