Help train doctors of today and tomorrow

In a recent article by Dr. Brian Skotko, entitled “ Understanding the implications of prenatal testing for Down syndrome “, he calls on the medical community to, “ Train not only the doctors of today but the doctors of tomorrow. Medical students, nurses and genetic counselors should be educated beyond the textbook and have interactions with people who have Down syndrome so that they may better understand the realities of living with the disorder. “

As we all know, it takes time to build trust and relationships. At Down Syndrome Indiana, we strive to be the local resource for families and medical professionals to contact whenever they have a question about Down syndrome or are looking for resources and support. We will continue to build positive relationships with medical professionals so they can see just how valuable the lives of individuals with Down syndrome are to the community.

You can help medical personnel by assisting local doctor Katie Weber with the project below:

Dear DSI Self-Advocate and Family:

I am writing this letter to ask you to help with a project I have
started. The project is to teach doctors how to take better care of
their patients with intellectual disabilities. I believe that
self-advocates and their families are some of the best teachers. I
would love to have the best help possible!

One of the ways I would like to teach the doctors is by having them
practice in a classroom that looks like a doctor’s office. In this
classroom, actors pretend to be patients so the doctors can practice
their doctor skills. I am asking if you would like to be an actor in
this classroom. It will mean coming to the classroom at least twice.
The first time will be practice for you. You will see what the
classroom is like. You will learn how to act like a patient in the
classroom. We will practice the kinds of questions the doctors will
ask and how you should answer them. We can have extra practice for
you if we decide this is needed. The second time will be practice for
the doctors. This time, you will spend 2 hours acting as a patient
for 4 different groups of doctors. They will ask you questions and
you will answer like we practiced. After each group of doctors, you
will have the chance to tell them how they did. I would like you to
tell the doctors if you could understand them and if they listened
well to you.

The date for the second session is 2-4pm on Wednesday, May 25th, 2011.
There will be a day (or more) to work with me to learn your part
before May 25th. I will hire and pay each of the actors for their
time and help. If you think you would like to be an actor for this,
please email me (kamweber@iupui.edu) or call the Center for Youth and
Adults with Conditions of Childhood (CYACC) at Riley Hospital at
317-948-0060. Please also let me know if you have questions to help
you decide if you would like to be an actor.

Sincerely,



Katie Weber, MD

Associate Professor of Clinic Medicine and Clinical Pediatrics

Indiana University School of Medicine

Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood (CYACC)


Thank you for your help in training the doctors of today and tomorrow,




Lisa Tokarz-Gutierrez, Executive Director