Local high school students to go backstage at School of Medicine as part of new three-part program

Today marks the first of three visits to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine by local high school students, who will learn more about what it really means to be a medical student.

Thirty-two students were selected by Cuyahoga Community College to take part in three monthly visits to the medical school. The new initiative is part of a new partnership between Case Western Reserve and Cuyahoga Community College, led by Robert Miller, the university’s vice president for research, and Robert Haynie, associate dean for student affairs at the School of Medicine.

As part of the program, students will spend three afternoons at the School of Medicine, meeting medical, dental, nursing and graduate students, doctors, scientists, lab technicians and other professionals, participating in an anatomy workshop and receiving CPR training, among other activities. On their final visit in December, they will be part of a special workshop where they are tasked with making a medical diagnosis of their own.

The three visits will be:

  • Oct. 18: “Let’s See Something Cool”—a welcome to the medical school, tours of research labs and an anatomy workshop
  • Nov. 15: “Let’s Do Something Cool”—a welcome, an open question and answer session and CPR training
  • Dec. 13: “Up for a Cool Challenge?”—a welcome, meeting with professionals and a case-based learning workshop, “Can you diagnose this patient?” led by David Katz, professor of neurosciences and Krishan Chandar, neurologist.