The Teddy Bears? Well they got a medical examination. As non-sentient soft toys, the exams probably didn't do them any good, but the various bears attending Teddy Bears Hospital did a fine job of introducing children to the medical world and medical students to the world of children.
The Teddy Bears Hospital, first run in Dunedin in 2011, is back again this week at the Hunter Centre.
The event this year is a joint venture between the Teddy Bears Hospital committee, a New Zealand Medical Students Association group, members of Medical Students for Global Awareness, and the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry.
Co-ordinator and third-year medical student Emilie Butterfield said children from pre-schools and kindergartens would come to the hospital during the week to see a ``teddy doctor or teddy dentist'' for a consultation.
The initiative was designed to reduce children's anxiety about medical professionals.
Ms Butterfield said it was good for the children to get used to the medical environment at a time when it was fun and comfortable, rather than in a hospital where it could be stressful and daunting.
``It's about giving them a really good first impression.''
Interacting with children would be something new for most of the students, and the initiative gave them a chance to do that in a relaxed environment and ``really hone those consultation skills''.
The ``hospital'' will run for the rest of the week, and a community day, open to the public, will be held on Saturday.
