VCU news

By Carrie Atherton

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics held its second annual pediatric spring conference for first- and second-year medical students interested in the field of pediatrics.

Students from Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Maryland had the opportunity to attend a lecture and workshop “Practicing Medicine for Fun, Not Profit,” presented by Patch Adams, M.D., and his colleague John Glick, M.D.

Adams, a VCU School of Medicine graduate, is a well-known medical doctor, clown, social activist and founder of the Gesundheit! Institute. He believes that laughter, joy, humor and play are an integral part of the healing process and urges medical doctors and students to develop compassionate connections with their patients.

“No medical school in the world has a class on compassion,” said Adams. “Compassion is medicine.”

After an initial ice-breaking exercise, students were asked to partner with someone they did not know and hug each other for approximately 45 seconds to one minute. This exercise was repeated three times. According to Adams, the exercise was a valuable lesson in compassion.

He also said that hugging or “hugging therapy” is said to have many benefits such as lowering heart rate, blood pressure and stress and reducing heart disease.

For the third and final exercise, students were asked again to partner up and take turns repeating the phrase, “I love you” to each other until they were told to stop. This again taught the students a lesson in compassion and kindness.

After a lecture from Adams, students had the opportunity to participate in “The Magic of Pediatrics,” a magic workshop led by Bruce Rubin, M.D., chair of VCU’s Department of Pediatrics.

Rubin, a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, taught students how to turn medical equipment, such as tongue depressors and latex gloves, into magical props to make visits to the doctor magical and fun for small children.

Student participants also had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from Adams after his lecture.

When asked by a student how he finds the energy and will to stay positive and cheerful all of the time, Adams remarked, “I dove into the ocean of gratitude and never found the shore. Be grateful. Gratitude for life and for what you have is key.”