March 19, 2002

Media Contacts: Michael Dabney (UCSD), 858-822-3432; Rodger Dougherty (Kaiser) (619) 641-4283 (cell).

WHAT: Eighty middle school students in an innovative physician-sponsored outreach program will be exposed to a "day in the life" of a medical school student at UCSD's School of Medicine. The program, known as Hippocrates Circle, is sponsored by a group of 10 physicians and other professionals at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center to expose youngsters at three area middle schools to careers in medicine and physician mentoring.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 20, 2002, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla (main campus -corner of Gilman and Myers).

DETAILS: With the ultimate goal of helping to increase the number students from low-income and traditionally underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to consider medicine as a career, a group physicians from Kaiser Permanente led by internal medicine specialist Ricardo Sistos established Hippocrates Circle 2 years ago. The program works with youngsters at Castle Park, Granger and Southwest middle schools to introduce them to the medical environment and its various professions, the academic preparation needed, and to mentoring with a physician. The visit to the UCSD School of Medicine is intended to give students an idea of what medical school is like by letting them interact with medical school students, tour medical school areas, and attend a mock medical school class lecture.

MEDIA OPP: Photograph middle school students as they: tour the Neurology Lab (viewing an actual human brain and brain pathology slides under a microscope), interact with med school students, view various parts of the body in Virtual Reality 3D computer format, and attend a mock classroom lecture on anatomy and emergency medicine given by a medical school professor. Interview Dr. Ricardo Sistos on the purpose of Hippocrates Circle, and UCSD academic outreach professionals in attendance on the value of such a program in preparing students academically and professionally.