Students involved in the BCOM chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP) are doing a whole lot more than just hitting the books. They’re preparing for careers as pediatricians by engaging with local children and raising money for causes related to childhood illnesses. Check out some of the great work they did in the community just in the past month.
In February, the team made another visit to Jardin de Los Ninos, a non-profit that provides early childhood education, therapeutic intervention, and comprehensive services to homeless and near homeless children, from the ages of six weeks to 10 years, and their families. The ACOP-ers taught the children about the digestive system through the use of large coloring sheets.
The ACOP club then spent a day visiting local public schools. Several members participated in an event organized by BCOM Educational Specialist Christa Vaudrey at one local elementary school where they taught third graders about body systems. “Best day ever!” exclaimed ACOP member Joya Singh. “The look on their faces when I let them listen to each other’s hearts and bowel sounds with my stethoscope was priceless. Their eyes widened with surprise and they were thrilled that they could actually listen to their friends’ heart sounds and lunch digesting. When we were wrapping up, we asked if they had any questions they wanted to ask us, and they asked when we would be coming back. The kiddos were so good, smart, and eager to learn.”
The ACOP students, along with members of BCOM’s Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), then headed over to yet another public school to host a “Mini Med School” day in honor of Heart Awareness Month. The medical students operated four stations, talking to the elementary students about the anatomy of the heart, pluses, blood pressure, and overall mental and physical health.
