GENERATION NEXT- BUDDY UP!
The Medbuddies program pairs students with young patients
For most medical students, the first two years of training largely consist of lectures, labs and endless book study. But an innovative student-run program at the U-M Medical School is helping first- and second-year medical students see the human side of medicine.
The Medbuddies program pairs a volunteer medical or nursing student with an inpatient child at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. They play board or video games together, talk, read books, visit with family and, simply, become friends. As Medbuddies volunteers, doctors-in-training leave their lab coats and textbooks behind and gain insight on what it's really like to be a child in the hospital.
"Already in my Medbuddy experience, I have a completely different view of what it's like to be a patient in a hospital," says Preetha Iyengar, a second-year medical student. "I don't think I could have ever understood what it is like unless I was part of this program. It will make me more sensitive to the kids and their families-more understanding of their fears and wants."
While the Medbuddy gains new perspective, the inpatient child gets a friend and the family gets a break from the day-to-day stress of hospitalization.
Jyoti Kandlikar, second-year medical student and Medbuddies student coordinator, says the program is unique because the pairings are one-on-one. The Medbuddy visits the same child throughout the hospital stay and if the child returns to the hospital, he or she gets the same Medbuddy. This familiar face creates a feeling of comfort for children and families experiencing multiple hospital stays.
"I can see what it's like to be in the hospital for a really long time, can see the fear of not knowing something, the hope that comes, what they like in their doctors or what a nurse has done to brighten their day," notes Kandlikar. "These are lessons I can pick up and figure out-better ways to treat people, ways to make their days better and how to treat them with more respect."
Currently, there are 69 U-M Medbuddies (view list) -11 nursing students and 58 medical students. |
