The medbuddies program pairs up children who are hospitalized for an extended period of time with a medical or nursing student. This program gives the student an opportunity to see the world of medicine from a child's point of view, and more importantly, it gives the child a much-needed friend during his or her illness
The students visit their buddies from a few times a week to, in some cases, every day. The friendship is maintained for the duration of the child's hospitalization. This program has great benefits for the children, their families and the students. The kids have someone to give them company and support during their stay, which can often be lonely. The familes have someone to share the burden of supporting a sick child. The students get the opportunity to understand the issues related to illness from a patient's perspective, an aspect which is often not emphasized during the rest of their education.
This program requires a fairly large time commitment on the part of the student volunteers, but that effort is repaid many times over. The children come to depend on their buddies and look forward to each visit. The student learns so much about how to interact with sick children and makes a great friend.