A medical school and elementary school partnership: Bringing medical education innovations to the local context of the elementary classroom

Background:The Mini-Medical School for Elementary Kids is a partnership between Public School 4 and the New York University Langone Medical Emergency Medicine Department. The program involves four 5th grade classrooms (100 students) including an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom. The use of technology and medical simulation are important modalities used in undergraduate and graduate medical education. Collaboration between emergency physicians and elementary educators resulted in hands-on learning activities that incorporated iPad technology and low fidelity simulation within the context of the elementary classroom. Purpose: The program introduces 5th graders to medicine and reinforces health literacy through hands-on and innovative health lessons in the classroom. Significance: Promoting health literacy and introducing the medical field to elementary students can be done using transferable innovations from the medical education curriculum. This can be achieved through an academic and public school partnership. Methodology: Lessons included nutrition and healthy choices, the cardiovascular system, the pulmonary system, the nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system. The activities involved observation and measurement skills, critical thinking, and physical diagnosis techniques (auscultation and neurological assessment). The project (not sure this is the correct term) culminated in low fidelity simulation session in which students participated in a simulated operation using low-budget materials. Conclusions and Recommendations: Extending medical schools' reach into elementary classrooms using iPad technology and low fidelity simulation provides the opportunity to reach and engage students from underrepresented backgrounds to promote health literacy and the medical profession.