This program started in 1987 with University of South Florida Medical School students and the young patients at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Starting each September, The Big Buddy Mentoring Program pairs second year medical students with brothers and sisters of patients for...
This program started in 1987 with University of South Florida Medical School students and the young patients at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Starting each September, The Big Buddy Mentoring Program pairs second year medical students with brothers and sisters of patients for an entire medical school year.
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%newline%Big buddies are required to attend an orientation session previous to working with the children. After buddies are paired, the medical students meet their little buddies and their families at a kick-off party.
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%newline%From September to June, the pairs of buddies get together on a monthly basis for special outings of their choice. In the past, these have included horseback riding, hockey games, movies, pizza dinners and picnics in the park. The Children's Cancer Center provides the buddies with a reimburse to cover the outing expenses. With the conclusion of the medical school year, the Children's Cancer Center hosts an end-of-the-year trip to a local theme park.
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%newline%The Big Buddy Mentoring Program is designed to accomplish three main goals:
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%newline% 1. To provide a hands-on volunteer experience for second-year medical students and educate them, outside of the classroom, about how an illness affects the entire family.
%newline% 2. To give the siblings, who must also cope with the issues surrounding their brother or sister's illness, special one-on-one time and attention.
%newline% 3. To give parents support by providing an outlet for their children.
%newline% 4. To foster empathy and compassion in our future physicians.
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