The whole group of local Girl Scouts posing together following their fun and informative experience.
The whole group of local Girl Scouts posing together following their fun and informative experience.
Scouts attentively watch the doctor as she teaches them about regular check-ups.
Two Scouts practicing what they learned on their stuffed animals.
The scouts watch as nurse shows them how one of the many machines work.
Local Girl Scouts under troop leader Hope Meza — all with varying levels of interest in the medical field — were offered a fun and informative look at what types of jobs and responsibilities are found in medicine, with Dignity Health Medical Group’s recent “Teddy Bear Clinic” in Merced.
The Scouts were divided into two different groups, determined by age, and were then led to one of two experiences. While one group was given an in-depth tour through Mercy Merced Medical Center, learning about how clinics actually function, the other was given a thorough look at what happens during a typical doctor’s visit. In the latter group, students were encouraged to follow the steps with their own stuffed animals in addition to trying out a few of the machines and instruments.
“I am thrilled to welcome the Girl Scouts and offer them a hands-on experience that shows them going to the doctor isn’t scary,” said Erum Kazim, a pediatrician and lead instructor for the informative experience. “We hope that this interaction might inspire excitement for health care and provide Scouts with the confidence to know what to do in case of an emergency.”
The girls had a ton of fun exploring the facilities and learning from medical professionals. While some of these girls came into the experience with ideas of what they may want to do one day, many came out with a completely new understanding of what the medical field offers. A number of them commented that they had no clue that there were so many types of doctors, in addition to other countless roles that need to be filled for a functioning clinic or hospital.
Scout Lilly Reese said she felt great about the class, and was “Happy to learn about how doctors use ultrasounds and other things to make sure that babies are OK when moms get checked up.”
She continued to tell the Times that she is now thinking about becoming a nurse, as well as a professional singer.