Community Medical School begins again April 17 with a series of evening lectures by the top faculty experts who teach and inspire the next generation of physicians and scientists at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont's academic medical center.
Each presentation reviews a current medical science topic in an easy-to-understand format, including informational handouts and a question-and-answer session following the lecture.
Classes are held Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. followed by a half-hour Q&A session at the Carpenter Auditorium at the UVM Given Medical Building. The lectures are free and open to the public, but registration is requested. To register, call (802) 847-2886 or find links for each event and register on the Community Medical School website.
The Spring 2012 schedule:
April 17 - At Wit’s End: Recognizing and Dealing with Depression and Stress
Dr. Terry Rabinowitz, professor of psychiatry and family medicine and director of the Psychiatric Consultation and Telemedicine Services.
One’s ability to cope with stress -- simply defined as the brain’s response to any demand -- differs from person to person. Find out what happens when you experience stress, how it can lead to depressive symptoms, and how to distinguish clinical depression from a temporary case of "the blues." Discuss strategies for preventing or minimizing stress and both traditional and cutting-edge treatments, such as psychotherapy, medications, and electrical current and magnetic stimulation therapies.
April 24 - Your Home Away from Home: Vermont’s Innovative Approach to Primary Care
Dr. Charles MacLean, professor of medicine and interim associate dean for primary care
Dr. Jennifer Gilwee, assistant professor of medicine
With U.S. healthcare expenditures far exceeding comparable industrialized nations, Vermont policymakers, with critical input from UVM/Fletcher Allen clinicians and researchers, have developed a health reform initiative that aims to improve the state’s healthcare system, reduce costs and improve health. Hear about a new model for the delivery of healthcare -- called the Patient Centered Medical Home -- and how Vermont is leading the nation in establishing a solid primary care foundation for the future.
Special Panel Presentation
May 1 - Getting the Heads-Up: Understanding, Treating and Preventing Concussion
Diane Jaworski, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology
Dr. Stephen Leffler, professor of surgery and chief medical officer, Fletcher Allen Health Care
Dr. David Lisle, assistant professor of family medicine and orthopedics and rehabilitation
Dr. James Slauterbeck, associate professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation
May 8 - Imaging Pioneers: The History of Radiology at UVM and Fletcher Allen
Dr. John Tampas, professor emeritus of radiology
Hear about the early history of the discovery of x-ray and its impact on the careers and lives of two turn-of-the-century UVM College of Medicine graduates -- Dr. Lawrie Morrison and Dr. Walter Dodd -- who helped advance the field of radiology. Learn how their followers and fellow medical alumni Dr. A. Bradley Soule and Dr. Laurence Robbins contributed to the field, and about the extraordinary relationship between UVM and Massachusetts General Hospital.
May 15 - Scoring Points: Improving Health through the Power of Video Games
Dr. Peter Bingham, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics
Video games -- often the targets of negative criticism -- offer a powerful medium for engaging children and teens. Discover how a UVM/Fletcher Allen physician-researcher and colleagues learned to harness this power to develop an innovative way to improve the health of chronically ill children. Discuss how video games can help impact learning, behavior, and social responsibility, what projects lie in the future, and the video game industry’s trend toward adding more games with health applications.