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Young Patients At Children's Hospital Get To Play Doctor For A Day

By Justin Udo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia gave patients a chance to see what it's like to be a doctor. The interactive program had everything from a heart monitoring machine to hospital beds.

With smocks on and stethoscopes in hand, the children got to take care of some patients of their own.

"I came in I checked her out, I did some blood work on her," one child said. "I ran her levels they were really high. "

Elise Ehrenreich a child life specialist at CHOP, says even though the kids are working with dolls, this experience gives them a chance to see what being a doctor is all about.

"We're helping children learn about these stressful experiences and we're making them less scary," Ehrenreich said. "So by learning through play the child is going to then probably enter the next moment that if they have to get an iv on their body they can reflect on that particular play experience."

Ehrenreich says small activities like this go a long way in releaving the young patients stress.

The program also gave the children the opportunity to decorate their own Surgical Face Masks and hair caps as well as wear a doctors smock fitted to their size.

 

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