Teddy bear hospital
BMJ 2004; 328 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0406248 (Published 01 June 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;328:0406248
- Suneeta Kochhar, final year medical student1,
- Stephen French, final year medical student2,
- Ioana Vlad, junior doctor3
- 1Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London
- 2Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London
- 2Iasi, Romania
At the Teddy Bear Hospital at Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, schoolchildren from the London borough of Southwark are able to bring sick teddies for a check-up. Aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 7, the hospital first started in 2001 and has two main goals--to reduce children's anxiety about visiting the doctor and to help medical students improve their communication skills with children. By visiting the hospital the children become familiar with hospital environments and learn about medical procedures and equipment in a friendly setting. Sick teddies--or any other favourite toy--are eligible for a 10 minute consultation by a fourth year medical student with first and second year students acting as helpers.
The bear facts
The idea for the Teddy Bear Hospital project originated in Norway and is organised by the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) and the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA). According to Amanda Victorine Wong, EMSA president, the project has now spread to many countries. “I'm constantly getting emails of interested students from all around the world,” Eva Ciric, IFMSA teddy bear …
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