The six-week school will meet for two and a half hours at 6:30 p.m. on consecutive Tuesday evenings at the VA Hospital campus to provide insight into major health and societal problems that impact South Carolina. Registration, which will begin during the school of medicine's alumni weekend Sept. 28-30, will be required, but no tuition will be charged.

The Mini Med School is being offered as a public service by the medical school in observance of its first graduating class's 20th anniversary and the University's bicentennial.

"This is part of the medical school's desire to give back to the community and also showcase its expertise for those people who might not otherwise be aware of what's here," said Tan J. Platt, an associate professor of family and preventive medicine. Platt will serve as one of the school's two mini med school deans with Philip D. Watson, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology.

Sessions held one night per week for the duration of the school will feature basic science and clinical medical school faculty discussing problems such as genetic disorders, hypertension, and aging. The basic science professors will be paired with clinical faculty members speaking on the actual practice of medicine and treatment for the disorders. A different pair of professors will address each session of the school.

Topics and the focus of all sessions will be aimed toward non-medical participants. Some courses include "Violence and Aggression in Our Schools," "Fertility and Assisted Reproduction in the New Millennium," and "Arthritis: Will I Get It, Can We Treat It?" An elective involving gross anatomy will be available. Graduation will be held at the completion of the program.

Platt said the medical school hopes the Mini Med School will become an annual Columbia fall or spring event that will draw on a broad spectrum of the medical school's faculty.

"We want to spread this link to the community so that everybody gets a shot at participating," he said, stressing that the Mini Med School is not designed for individuals who want to inquire about their own medical conditions and seek medical advice or referrals.

For information about the Mini Med School or to apply for admission, call the School of Medicine Development Office at 733-3221.