Doctors do teddy bear hospital rounds

Medical students visited around 70 students in pre-primary and Year 1 and taught the children healthcare principles such as healthy eating, exercise and good hygiene and reducing anxiety during doctor visits.

UWA Teddy Bear Hospital co-ordinator James Punch said the program was fun, interactive and hands-on in teaching children about the role of healthcare professionals.

‘It teaches the role we play in the community as well as delivering some simple healthy lifestyle messages in early childhood,’ he said.

‘It is also extremely beneficial for us as future healthcare professionals as we are able to develop professional interpersonal skills with children.

‘The fact that we target low socio-economic areas is also important as it means that we try to reach children who may not have had this exposure before.’

To request a visit to your school, email coordinator.tbh|@wamss.org.au.