GCC helps little ones face doctor visits with "beary" special friends

No need to face doctor visits alone - with a teddy friend, kids are learning to be brave in medical settings. It’s all thanks to an event started by a Guam Community College graduate that continues to empower future medical professionals and patients alike.

A trip to the doctor can be un-bear-ably scary for little ones, but with a furry friend in tow, even the most-timid cubs can feel warm and fuzzy in medical settings. That’s the idea behind the Teddy Bear Island Clinic by the Guam Community College’s Allied Health Program, empowering youngsters through playful learning. 

Dr. Anthony Jay Sunga, professor of math and science at GCC, told KUAM News, “It’s a powerful tool to kind of normalize a medical procedure or medical experience to help them practice these coping skills.”  

He added that at the clinic, little “docs for the day” get to suit up in mini-white coats and treat their patients with fluffy ones.   “They become the doctors, and the teddy bears are the patients," Sunga explained.

It’s there they learn how to handle paw-sible medical fears one “check-up” at a time. Rotating through special stations, practicing care based on their teddy’s “ailment.” Sunga continued, "We’re trying to give the experience of a basic clinic experience. We have about eight modules–including putting on PPDs, assessment of your patient, x-rays, vaccinations, and the like.”  

And while the event aims to ease little ones’ anxieties, it also gives GCC and University of Guam students a chance to hone their skills, too. “We’re really engaging our students’ learning ability to take their skills out to take it out to the public and also give them the experience in working with the patients they’re hoping to have someday.”

The Teddy Bear Island Clinic will be held at the Micronesia Mall's center court Sunday, November 10.