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Health-Care Students Lead Fun, Informative Event for Keiki

Written by Tina Shelton, John A. Burns School of Medicine
Posted on April 9, 2014
View the article here.

JABSOM Keiki Health Camp 2014 from UHMed on Vimeo.

A colorful, “Twister” game-sized anatomy puzzle was just one creative learning opportunity presented to 70 Oahu keiki (children) at the Second Annual Keiki Health Camp at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). UH Manoa students leading the children included 27 medical students, 22 students from the Dental Hygiene program and 12 pre-medical students from Manoa’s Medical Student Mentorship Program.

It was a clear tie when it came to which group was having more fun: the kids or the future health-care workers.

keiki participate at Second Annual Keiki Health CampFourth-year medical student Kristen Teranishi led one of the kids’ favorite arts and crafts sessions: how to make fake snot (with Elmer’s glue, borax detergent, water and green food coloring) and a fake blood plasma soup (of cranberries, marshmallows, rice, salt, water and red food coloring).

“The kids are really fun, it’s a nice way of exposing them to health-related things in a fun way,” said Teranishi, who will continue her training as an MD in the UH Psychiatry Residency Program this summer.

A group learning session on better eating had the kids match up which are “healthy snacks” and which are “unhealthy.” Dental health was promoted at a booth that advised the children to brush twice a day and floss once a day so they could “Have a Sponge Bob Smile!” The tooth fairy even came along to read to the kids about the importance of good oral health.

A cardiovascular health experiment employed cups, water and different-sized straws to illustrate the flow of blood through healthy and clogged blood vessels.

The fun continued outdoors where the kids learned about sun safety and applied sunscreen on their skin. Then they did a five-minute warm-up and stretch before free time monitored by the medical and pre-medical students.

keiki shows off project at Second Annual Keiki Health CampJeremy Stone, a fourth-year medical student, said that teaching kids about being healthy at a young age is crucial in prevention of health problems down the road.

“A focus on prevention rather than disease is a transition we’re trying to make in the medical field in general,” Stone said. When he graduates as a JABSOM MD this May, Dr. Stone will continue training in Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

The JABSOM Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society organized the camp, held March 29 at the JABSOM Kaka`ako campus.

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