So, in a bid to crank back the hospital “scare” factor, a group of students from the University of NSW’s Rural Medical School turned a school hall into a teddy bear’s hospital.

Students from Ashmont Public’s kindergarten to Year 2 classes got the lowdown on everything from plastering and X-rays in the “bone zone” to being given the chance to perform “surgery” on a teddy bear and learn a little more about how to keep their growing bodies in healthy shape.

In the bone zone, some of the 15 medical students on hand gave the children a hands-on lesson, by giving them a tiny plaster on their thumbs.

Dunking the still-damp plaster into a tub of glitter added some extra sparkle – and giggles.

They also got to see some real-life X-rays of a volunteer teddy bear.

Not only did some budding medicos have the chance to hear their own heartbeats through a stethoscope, but the student doctors were also happy to let the children listen to theirs, and expelling any fear of instrument.

The medical students turned a lesson about healthy eating into a fun game, and managed to convince even the most sceptical youngster that despite indeed being very tasty, not all breakfast cereals were super healthy.

The goal of the teddy hear hospital is to create a child-friendly, interactive experience that let’s the youngsters overcome any anxiety they may have at their own pace, in a familiar environment, with their school friends and teachers around them.

Organiser Maryam Hakim, a sixth year medical student, said the teddy bear hospital was being run for a second year after a positive reception in 2017.

The students did about eight hospitals at Wagga region schools, and are kicking off their 2018 project with the visit to Ashmont Public.

“We want to help make the children a bit more comfortable with hospitals, equipment, doctors and surgery,” she said.

“We also want to tell them a bit about what to do in an emergency and about healthy eating.”

While medical students at the Wagga Rural Medical School are only taking part for the second year, the University of NSW has been doing it at other facilities for some years.

Like similar worldwide initiatives, the events not only gives children the chance to learn more about hospitals and doctors, but also give the university students an opportunity to interact with children, and get an idea how to explain procedures in simple language.

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