Prescription for a Smile

Prescription for a Smile is a therapeutic clowning organization comprised of students from the College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine.  The group was started just one year ago in September of 2008 and has these objectives:

• Have fun! Professional school is demanding! Humor is healthy for everyone!
• Learn how to make meaningful, kind, non-threatening connections with patients that ease “white coat” fears.   Clowning removes barriers and helps both patients and caregivers focus on the essential human elements of giving care, in addition to the intellectual and technical components.
• Engage the right brain!  Our curricula are left-brain centered and losing routine connection with our artistic, verbal, playful, creative capacities makes us vulnerable to burnout.  We can protect against burnout by intentionally engaging our right brain in daily life.
• Reach out to others!  Help a patient, a child, an elder have a better day.  Bring a smile.  Help someone laugh.  Engage as a fellow human before you engage as a professional.  Laughter reminds us ALL that we’re alive….that there is hope…..that others do care!

Dr. Brackett, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, works closely with well-known, Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams.  “Prescription for a Smile” derives from his international work with humor as an agent of health-care and humanistic social change.  The group functions both as a learning opportunity for students and as community outreach.  Dr. Brackett also advises the College of Medicine's clown group, “Clowning in Columbus”.

11/06/09

For more information contact: Simon Pence - simonpence@gmail.com

Also see the OSU APhA-ASP Prescription for a Smile page

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