Some SIU School of Medicine students had a chance to give check ups to some unusual patients on Thursday.
They were dolls and stuffed animals.
It’s part of the annual doll clinic held in conjunction with SIU head start.
Students enrolled in the Physician's Assistant Program at SIUC set up a doll clinic at the Marion Head start Thursday.
"What’s going on with Queen today, how’s she feeling."
35 PA students gave check ups to 140 dolls, teddy bears, and Barbie’s also known as babies to the preschoolers.
“Every baby gets a shot, their blood pressure taken, reflexes checked, everything that routinely would happen with a child at a physical exam.”
PA student Martha Curtain knows first hand about the fears kids have at the Dr.’s office being former teacher.
“I might hear from a student later this day we’re going to the Dr. And I scared where as this is a good opportunity to take them in their school setting and show its safe and have the Dr.’s come to them.”
Assistant Professor Molly Johnson started the clinic for the PA program about 4 years ago.
" He got a shot and he got a band aide."
She says it helps the kids and the students.
“It’s an opportunity for our students to interact with young children and it’s an opportunity for the young children to get to observe medical procedures without being the subject of those procedures.”
Some kids jumped right into the parent role at the clinic and got the help their baby needs.
"He has a bad fever and coughing and he needs a cough drop."
“We had a kid come in a say we need a Dr. fast he’s got a bad fever and bad ear that was pretty good and its even kind of funny to hear the Dr.’s say we’ve got a bad fracture here on teddy.”
Johnson hopes this experience will stay with these students and be passed to others.
“I’m hopeful that in their career they can share that information with parents about how valuable it is to work with children, help them play through things that are upsetting or anxiety provoking.”
Each kid gets a book and health centered gift bag for participating in the clinic.
