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Mini Med School is a health science youth outreach and public education program that takes a unique approach and has the reputation of being “anything but mini”.

Supported by the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, this popular series uses big ideas, big discoveries and big names to engage high school students in learning and discussion about health research topics. Each course curriculum is designed to give a general understanding of a specific field by exploring the latest basic science research, clinical applications and social and ethical implications.

We're excited to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Mini Med School in 2023! Created by Dr. David Speert, Mini Med School was first introduced to the community in 2003 as an 8-part lecture series on infectious diseases. 

Mini Med School Fast Facts!
Over the last 20 years Mini Med School has:

  • Introduced over 5,000+ participants across BC to the latest in health research.
  • Presented 25 unique programs exploring the diverse careers available in science and medicine.
  • Included 143 inspiring presentations (260 hours!) from award-winning researchers and health professionals on advancements in their fields.
  • Provided 250+ world class researchers with the opportunity to engage with the community.
  • Created 168 hours of publicly accessible content in the video library.

In recent years, high demand for the program has also led to the introduction of Mini Med School BC and Mini Med School Online. 

What is the goal of Mini Med School?

Each year, Mini Med School seeks to: 

  • Present knowledge that captures the imagination, motivates further learning and fosters public dialogue
  • Engage students in participatory learning and discussion of topics around scientific research
  • Provide BC Children's Hospital researchers with opportunities to discuss their work, its context and its implications
  • Inspire high school students to pursue careers in research
What previous topics have been explored?

To view recordings of past Mini Med School programs, visit our Video Library. 

  • 2023 - Infectious Diseases and the Immune Response. Presented by Dr. Julie Bettinger & Dr. Srinivas Murthy
  • 2022 - The Developing Mind – Child & Adolescent Mental Health. Presented by Dr. Janet Mah & Dr. Bob McMahon
  • 2021 - Discoveries in Diabetes: A Century of Innovation. Presented by Dr. Francis Lynn & Dr. Dina Panagiotopoulos
  • 2020 - Go With Your Gut: The Microbiome, Good Bacteria & Your Health. Presented by Dr. Laura Sly & Dr. Ted Steiner
  • 2019 - Beyond a Cure: Pediatric Cancer Research. Presented by Dr. Rod Rassekh
  • 2018 - Healthy Starts for a Healthy Future. Presented by Dr. Manish Sadarangani
  • 2017 - Surgery: Past, Present and Future. Presented by Dr. Kishore Mulpuri
  • 2016 - Genetic Counselling: Leading the Integration of Genetics into Clinical Care. Presented by Dr. Jehannine Austin
  • 2015 - Towards a Healthy Global Village. Presented by Dr. Jean-Pierre Chanoine
  • 2014 - The Dynamic & Developing Brain. Presented by Dr. Tim Oberlander
  • 2013 - Diabetes: Mythology and Modern Research. Presented by Dr. William Gibson
  • 2012 - Transplantation: Can we fix broken parts? Presented by Dr. Kirk Schultz
  • 2011 - Immunity. Presented by Dr. Ru Tan & Dr. Stuart Turvey
  • 2010 - Conception, birth and beyond: The challenges of life's beginnings. Presented by Dr. Philippe Chessex
  • 2010 - Clinical Genomics. Presented by Dr. Jan Friedman
  • 2009 - Get the facts
  • 2008 - The Mysteries of Sleep. Presented by Dr. Osman Ipsiroglu
  • 2007 - Epigenetics! It’s All Around You. Presented by Dr. Angela Devlin, Dr. Michael Kobor & Dr. Wendy Robinson
  • 2006 - The Brain in Action! Presented by Dr. Steven Miller
  • 2005 - Child Health and Development: What’s “normal” got to do with it? Presented by Dr. Ronald Barr
  • 2005 - The Best of Mini Med School    
  • 2004 - Diabetes. Presented by Dr. Bruce Verchere
  • 2004 - Reproduction - The Facts of Life. Presented by Dr. Wendy Robinson & Dr. Judith Hall
  • 2003 - Genetics, Genomics and Health. Presented by Dr. Michael Hayden
  • 2003 - Infection. Presented by Dr. David Speert & Dr. Julian Davies
     
What do participants have to say about Mini Med School?
  • “The presentations each week were very informative and all equally fascinating. They never failed to amaze me and spark my curiosity.”
  • “I loved the informative content and insight into their fields! It was awesome to see what actually happens in surgery.”
  • “I really appreciated the opportunity to gain so much exposure into the medical world.”
  • “I liked listening to the different presentations from each speaker and connecting everything to what we’re learning in school.”
  • “I really enjoyed learning about new, cutting-edge treatments that could possibly change the future of medicine.” 

Mini Med School feedback continually praises the engaging presenters, inspiring curriculum and the unique opportunities to explore careers in health sciences. 


For any questions regarding Mini Med School please contact researchevents@phsa.ca.