Teddy Bear Hospital eases children’s anxiety

On Monday May 22, more than 100 children from four different kindergartens arrived at the Sackler School of Medicine to get help for their sick teddy bears.

​The TAU Medical Student Association organized the volunteer event and recruited medical students to play the roles of general practitioners, specialists, pharmacists, and X-ray technicians.  As the children arrived, they met with the volunteers and received treatment for their bears.  The children took an active part in the examination and were exposed to processes that patients undergo at the hospital, including X-rays, blood tests, bandaging, and filling prescriptions at the pharmacy. The kids visited an ambulance outside the school, provided by the Magen David Adom. They also passed through information stations on dental health, proper nutrition, and exercise.

The goal of the Teddy Bear Hospital is to make doctor visits less scary for young children, and it has been shown to be effective at reducing childhood anxiety toward hospitals, medical procedures and professionals. The international project has been hosted at medical schools around the world. This is the 11th year that it has been held at the Sackler School of Medicine.

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