About the Program
Join Us!
Monday March 3rd & 17th, 2025
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain valuable medical knowledge and connect with health professionals in your community. Whether you're aspiring to have a career in medicine, wanting to experience a day in the life of a medical student, or simply looking to expand your understanding of health and wellness, Mini Medical School has something for everyone.
Hybrid Delivery
WebEx will be used to connect online participants to the workshops. Meeting links and details will be emailed to participants following registration.
Session Information
Please select below the session dates/titles to learn more about each event!
Session Schedule
Please select date(s) below for additional session information
Topic: Life in the balance: Mastering diabetes management
Date: Monday, March 3rd, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
a) define diabetes and differentiate between type I and type II diabetes mellitus (note new terminology of insulin-dependent vs. non insulin-dependent)
b) describe how diabetes is diagnosed, the different methods used to measure blood glucose, and what the target blood glucose levels are for people with and without diabetes
c) identify the long term consequences of diabetes to different body systems
d) identify the symptoms of hypoglycemia versus hyperglycemia
e) develop a plan for managing diabetes through modifiable lifestyle factors
f) discuss how to prevent complications of diabetes and identify the common screening exams, including eye and foot exams
g) identify how living with diabetes can affect mental health
h) list some strategies to enhance mental well-being while living with diabetes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to define diabetes and how it is diagnosed. Participants will also be able to recognize how diabetes affects the body, and identify effective lifestyle strategies to manage diabetes.
Topic: Back on track: Understanding, managing, and preventing back pain
Date: Monday, March 17th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
a) describe the basic anatomy of the spine
b) define back pain, and differentiate between common causes of back pain
c) list red flag symptoms for serious causes of back pain
d) classify the different healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain
e) dispel common myths about back pain
f) identify how living with back pain can affect mental health
g) list some strategies to enhance mental well-being while living with back pain
By the end of this session, participants will be able to define back pain, identify the different causes of back pain, list symptoms of life-threatening back pain, and know which health care providers can support people with back pain.
Meet the Student Presenters
Brandon Grandinetti is a fourth-year medical student on the NOSM U Thunder Bay campus. He is from Sault Ste. Marie and his background prior to medical school was in physiotherapy. He is super excited to meet and teach you all about lower back pain!
Michaela is a second-year medical student at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Born and raised in Northern Ontario, Michaela is passionate about health promotion in the North. She hopes to improve the health literacy of the communities in Northwestern Ontario.
Hi, my name is Krishna Jani! I completed my undergrad in 2023 at McMaster University in Kinesiology, and worked as a physiotherapist assistant and personal trainer. I am now a 1st year medical student at NOSM University, excited to learn about medicine! When I'm not in class you'll find me playing basketball or lifting weights.
My name is Camille and I am a first-year medical school student at NOSM U, Thunder Bay campus. Originally from small town in southern Ontario, I moved to Sudbury to complete my undergraduate and Master’s degree in Kinesiology at Laurentian University. Shortly after completing my Kinesiology registration exams, I moved to Sioux Lookout where I have spent the last six years living and working in the healthcare field, with a speciality in diabetes management. I am thrilled to share the knowledge I’ve gained and help answer any questions you might have!
Meet the Resident Presenters
Dr. Breton Burke grew up in Red Lake, Ontario enjoying much of the outdoor opportunities that is has to offer. He completed his undergraduate degree in Life Sciences at Queen’s University before completing medical school at the University of Ottawa and finally his Family Medicine Training at NOSM U in Thunder Bay. He hopes to cultivate a career with a balance of both acute medicine and longitudinal Family Medicine with rural/remote locums. His hobbies include hiking, back country camping, and admittedly being overly competitive at board games.
Nusha is a PGY1 Family Medicine in Thunder Bay, ON. She hopes to pursue a generalist practice with a focus on chronic pain management, including rural medicine in the region.
Meet the Medical Experts
Bryan MacLeod is a Chronic Pain Physician and Associate Professor at NOSM U (www.nosm.ca). He is a very active researcher in Self-Compassion for Healthcare Professionals and works to promote clinician health through his Research Team and company (www.mscnorth.com).
Bryan cut his teeth as a rural family doc in Marathon, Ontario, after graduating CCFP from NOMP back in The Dark Ages. Since then, he has held several clinical leadership roles, including:
Medical Director, Faculty Development (NOMP)
Medical Director, Palliative Care (TBRHSC)
Medical Director, Chronic Pain (SJCG)
Medical Director, ECHO North
Bryan is a Recovering Over-Achiever and humble Mindful Self-Compassion enthusiast, melding his passion for a life in medicine with the need for all of us to have a healthier, more balanced way forward.
When most balanced, Bryan is very involved in local theatre and helps run Thunder Bay’s only Improv Theatre Club.
