More Than 100 Missouri High School Students Attend Mini Medical School

Missouri high school students who are interested in becoming physicians have arrived at the University of Missouri School of Medicine as the school hosts its 19th annual High School Mini Medical School.

This year, there are two week-long sessions of mini medical school with 56 students per session. The first group of students arrived on Sunday, June 18. The second session begins Sunday, June 25.

“Each year, several students who apply to the MU School of Medicine are graduates of High School Mini Medical School,” said Laine Young-Walker, MD, associate dean for student programs at the MU School of Medicine. “From touring our hospitals and labs, to learning more about the medical school application process, high school students from rural and urban areas of the state will have a better idea of what goes into becoming a physician.”

During the week, high school seniors take part in a medical school-style curriculum used at MU known as patient-based learning. Students will take those skills and work in small groups to solve a case study. The mini medical students also get hands-on experience in anatomy and suture labs and take part in simulations in the Shelden Clinical Simulation Center.

Current MU medical students, faculty and staff also work with the groups, giving them information about what life is like in medical school and how to prepare for it.

The students accepted for High School Mini Medical School were evaluated by academic effort and success, responses to essay questions on the application, recommendations from a high school teacher and their involvement in extracurricular activities.