Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) student chapter, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP), hosted their annual Teddy Bear Clinic at the Jubilee Family Development Center on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The clinic provided Liberty’s osteopathic medical students with the opportunity to step outside the classroom and interact with members of the community. “I think that this event is important for LUCOM student-doctors because it helps remind us of the real patients and families out there that we are working so hard to provide care to one day,” said Abigail Barley, president of LUCOM-ACOP. “We often lose sight of things like this when we are inside the walls of LUCOM studying books, PowerPoints and notes. I know that volunteer experiences keep me grounded and give me a push for the future. Also, these events are just fun! Getting to hang out with classmates and kids with some medicine mixed in; that’s the best!”
The Teddy Bear Clinic has been an annual tradition that LUCOM-ACOP continues every year as a way to build relationships with children and parents within the Lynchburg community by showing them that the doctor’s office isn’t a scary place. “I hope that the kids that came to the event feel more comfortable and less scared about going to the doctor’s office moving forward. I also hope that the Lynchburg community continues to see how much LUCOM wants to give back and continues to come to other events in the future,” Barley added.
The annual event encouraged children to bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll to participate in stations that focused on nutrition, physical activity, radiology, and cardiology. Each station was designed to educate the little patients about healthy living as well as encourage them to develop good habits to support their body. One unique station was provided by Liberty University School of Nursing (LUSON) where teams of student-nurses lead a winter wellness station that showed the kids the importance of proper hand washing and how germs spread.
“It is an invaluable experience for student-doctors and nurses to collaborate, as this is integral to their professional success. The more we can offer opportunities such as this, the more world changers we are creating – for the better of our health care system and communities at large,” said Dana Woody, DNP, RN, associate professor for LUSON.
For Barley, as she strives to become a pediatrician, she hopes that her classmates learn the importance of fostering a trusting relationship with even the tiniest patients. “As those patients grow up, they’ll realize that doctors are here to help them feel better and take care of them,” she said. “I hope that I can continue to find experiences during my time as a medical student that I get to step outside my comfort zone and take part in activities that will challenge me both personally and professionally. I find so much value in volunteering and giving back to the community, and I find that many of these experiences have helped me grow.”
View digital images from the event at Facebook.com/LibertyMedicine.