A mini medical school open to public

A GREAT MANY PEOPLE are interested in medical matters and in January the Royal College of Surgeons is offering mini medical school classes to members of the public curious about the sciences underpinning modern medicine. The sessions will be fully accessible to lay people and medical jargon will be kept to a minimum. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Classes will be taught by doctors and scientists who are specialists in their field.

The school begins on January 21st and will run weekly until March. Lectures begin and 7pm and end at 9pm with a break in between for coffee. The lectures will take place at the College's premises on St Stephen's Green. The cost is £50 and the first 100 people to pay up and complete a registration form will be accepted.

Topics for the 1997 Mini Med School include human reproduction and development before birth, stress (mental and physical effects), diet (cholesterol and heart disease). Also coming under the microscope will be DNA fingerprinting, how X rays and other modern imaging techniques work and how doctors work with the Garda to determine causes of death. Techniques in modern surgery will also be covered as will Alzheimer's Disease.

For further information contact the Admissions Office, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Telephone (01) 402 2228.

The educationalist and campaigner for the cause of Lifelong Learning, Sir Christopher Ball, will give a public lecture on the theme "Lifelong Learning for All - Dream or Prophecy?" at the college auditorium Waterford Regional Technical College, on Friday, December 13th at 8.00 p.m. The lecture is open to the public and admission is free.

Ball, who is director of learning at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, chairman of the National Campaign for Learning and chancellor of the University of Derby, is author of numerous books on all stages of learning.