*NOTE: VIDEO AVAILABLE*
Newswise — For most medical students, the first two years of training are largely composed of lectures, labs and endless book-study. But an innovative student-run program at the University of Michigan Medical School is helping first and second year medical students to see the human side of medicine.
The Medbuddies program pairs a volunteer medical or nursing student with an inpatient child at U-M C. S. Mott Children's Hospital. Together, they interact, play and become friends.
This provides the family with a much-needed break, the patient has a Medbuddies friend to interact with, and the medical student learns a little more about what it's really like for a child to be a patient in the hospital. The program is having a profound impact on both kids and medical students.
"As a second year medical student, I spend most of my time in the classroom. I do get opportunities to see patients, but I just don't feel like it's enough, and we don't have time to actually meet the family," says Jyoti Kandlikar, a second-year medical student at the U-M Medical School and Medbuddies student coordinator.
As Medbuddies volunteers, the doctors in training leave their lab coats and textbooks behind. They see their patient and family through the eyes of a medical student, but also through the eyes of a friend.
Together, Medbuddies and their patients play board or video games, talk, read books and spend time visiting the family. The hospital stay becomes a little less frightening to the child, which also brings comfort to the parents.
Kandlikar says the program is unique because the pairings are one-on-one. Each Medbuddy visits the same child throughout the hospital stay, which can sometimes be lengthy. If the child returns to the hospital, he or she will find the same Medbuddy has been assigned. With this arrangement, children and their families experiencing multiple hospital stays often look forward to that familiar Medbuddy face.
"You also get to learn a lot about different cultures as a Medbuddy. We have a huge diversity of patients from all over the country, with different languages, beliefs and ways of seeing themselves," notes Kandlikar. "Understanding these things helps us to figure out how to treat people, how to listen and understand."
Medbuddies also develop close relationships with the parents and other family members, something that is invaluable during the stressful period a pediatric hospital stay represents.
Parents may need to go home, either for a bit of respite, to run errands or to take care of other matters. Medbuddies, as trusted friends, are able to stay with the patient and give the parents peace of mind while they are away from their child's bedside.
Kenny Winder, 12, is a pediatric patient who appreciates his Medbuddy. Winder has been hospitalized for two months and recognizes that sometimes he is depressed about not feeling all that well.
"It really raises my spirits when my Medbuddy Tim comes a couple of times a week and hangs out. It's really cool that they take their spare time to hang out with us, and it's really helped me get through the stay," says Winder.
Timothy Sullivan, the second-year medical student who is Winder's Medbuddy, says the program is a welcome respite from the rigors of medical school.
"Being in medical school is stressful, so it's neat to come over here. I really enjoy interacting with Kenny," Sullivan says. "And when Kenny isn't feeling all that well and doesn't want to play games, we just sit and talk. I view myself as a good friend."
Preetha Iyengar is another second-year medical student who volunteers. She emphasizes how important it is for students to see what children go through as patients.
"Kids just want to be normal and play, so hopefully we're helping them to do that," Iyengar says. "I don't think I could have ever understood what it was like to have a child in the hospital unless I was part of this program."
For more information, visit the following Web sites:
University of Michigan Medical Schoolhttp://www.med.umich.edu/medschool Child and Family Life Program, U-M C. S. Mott Children's Hospitalhttp://www.med.umich.edu/mott/6support/sulife.htm
Written by Mary Beth Reilly*NOTE: VIDEO AVAILABLE*
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