The Otago University Medical School Students Association hosted their "teddy bear hospital", as dozens of students showed young people what was it was like to have a medical check-up.
The children were asked to bring their soft toy along for examination — which included checks for heart rate and blood pressure, X-ray check-ups and administering of medicines.
Co-organiser Charlotte Wollstein, a third-year medical student, said it was an opportunity to demystify the health check-up process for young people.
"They're a way for the children to come in and get their teddy bears involved in a consultation so they can kind of see what might happen when they go to the doctor — on their teddy — or what might happen when they go to the dentist, on their teddy bears.
"So, it's kind of a way to have a positive interaction and hopefully reduce some of their anxiety."
Ms Wollstein said it was also an opportunity to bring all the students together.
"It's really fun to have a break from studying and get a chance to interact with some children — and it's really nice to be involved with other professions as well, because we don't get to see them all the time."
Co-organiser Zoe Turner said it was also an opportunity for students to test their consultation skills.
"We don't usually have as many young actors coming through when we're practising in class, so it's good for the students to kind of get used to interacting with children, I think, as well."
Last year, the event was held at the School of Dentistry’s Walsh Building. Ms Turner said hosting it at Carisbrook School made for a more "community atmosphere".
"Our first station has them with some prescriptions. So they'll come in, they'll write their teddy's name.
"We'll have some instructions on the prescription for the rest of our stations — they'll draw their teddy and then stamp it with some colourful stamps, and they'll take it to our tablet station where they'll count out some tablets.
"Then they'll take it to our liquid station where they've got some colourful liquid with some different potions."
The association is planning to hold another teddy bear hospital on July 19.
