Special Olympics PA  – Philadelphia partnered with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) to host the first Med Buddies on Friday, March 9th! More than 50 Special Olympics Unified teammates were invited to spend the day at PCOM. Students in PCOM’s Advocate for Individuals with Disabilities (AID) class and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Special Olympics committee opened their campus to elementary school students from Juniata Park Academy, Universal Daroff Charter, and William H. Loesche, working alongside them in a morning filled with physical fitness, arts and crafts, and health and wellness activities.

MedBuddies paired two Unified teammates with a PCOM student which allowed the teammates to learn from their ‘medbuddy,’ while the students got to get a glimpse into what it is like to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities that Special Olympics serves in Philadelphia. They got to play basketball, run a relay race, make x-rays with construction paper and cotton swabs, and listen to one another’s hearts with a stethoscope. 

PCOM was an incredible host. The Special Olympics teammates were treated incredibly well. Special Olympics Philadelphia hopes to continue this event in the future as we continue to look to better serve the K to 5 population of the city. Click here to see the awesome video recap PCOM made! 

Photos of First Med Buddies

 

In the News

Students Welcome ‘Buddies’ from Special Olympics