April 20, 2016
'Healing Through Hands-On Science' at the Hands-On Museum and help children become comfortable around pharmacists, and the medical experience on the whole, was a truly rewarding experience,” says Kurtis Redmond, PharmD’19.

“Healing Through Hands-On Science” took place at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum on March 19 and 20. The event, a collaboration between the Hands-On Museum and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, helped families learn more about health science, explore different medical procedures, and increase exposure to health professionals through a variety of activities including an interactive teddy bear clinic. The University of Michigan’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP)  joined the event along with approximately 200 children for a fun-filled weekend.

U-M Pharmacy students volunteered for a variety of activities. The first was a teddy bear clinic where children could “gown-up” as doctors and take a teddy bear through the whole process of surgery, stopping at multiple stations, such as IV start, pre-op, operation, recovery, and hand washing. At the APhA-ASP Operation Immunization station, pharmacy students guided the children – with the help of toy medical kits – on how to check the bears’ vital signs and give the bears an immunization complete with fun Ninja Turtle and Disney Princess Band-Aids. This interactive opportunity exposed children to the different medical equipment and helped them become more familiar with immunizations. The second activity involved an immunization felt board activity, where children could play with different pieces to learn about the immune system and how vaccines can help fight off infections.

APhA-ASP’s Generation Rx, HSP, and St. John pharmacy residents also offered educational games focused on medication safety and poison prevention. Volunteers hosted multiple activities including a pill vs. candy game, a safe vs. not-safe game comparing drinking fluids to household cleaners, and a coloring station where children could design their own medication safety badge.

This collaborative event at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum provided pharmacy students a great opportunity to interact with the pediatric population. “Being able to help bring pharmacy presence to 'Healing Through Hands-On Science' at the Hands-On Museum and help children become comfortable around pharmacists, and the medical experience on the whole, was a truly rewarding experience,” says Kurtis Redmond, PharmD’19.