District 308 Students Graduate from Edward Plainfield 'Mini Med School'

Credit: File photo

Four Oswego School District 308 students last week graduated from the Dr. Ira Rubin’s Mini Med School at Edward Hospital’s Plainfield campus.

The 20-hour program is designed for students who are serious about pursuing a career in medicine after graduation.

Four District 308 students graduated from the program on Feb. 22: Tyler Guist, from Oswego High School (OHS); Hannah Schilberg, from OHS; Akshata Gunda, Oswego East High School (OEHS); and Morgan Treftz from OEHS.

Dr. Ira Rubin, an attending pediatrician at Naperville Pediatric Associates, developed the concept of the Mini Med School in 2004 with his son, Zachary, who is now a fourth-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The program was designed for sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school.

The six-week course provides each student with unique hands-on educational programs, experiences and counseling for those students and parents who are interested in the field of medicine, Oswego School District said. The program introduces the students to other fields of study in the medical industry such as podiatry, ophthalmology, physicians assistant, nursing assistant and physical therapy.

A goal of Rubin’s program is to allow teens to experience firsthand what it is like to actually apply to medical school. To be eligible to enroll, students must fill out an application, submit their high school transcript and letters of recommendation, and complete an essay explaining “Why I want to go to medical school.”

This year, 143 students from Chicagoland high schools applied for the program, and 78 were chosen for interviews, according to District 308. Of those 78, Rubin chose 64 students to take part in the 2015 Mini Med School.

Learn more about Mini Med School, including the next application deadline, online.