The Pediatric STARS program aims to enhance the education of UCSF medical students, as well as give children and adolescents with cancer the chance to build meaninful friendships with medical students while they are in the hospital.

• Kids in Program
• Medical Students in the Program
• Why is Pediatric STARS Important?
• Quotes from Medical Students
• Profesional Staff Involvement
• Contact Us

Kids in Program

Children and adolescents at UCSF that have been recently diagnosed with cancer may be enrolled in the program. We welcome any pediatric cancer patient who would like a medical student as his or her buddy.

Medical Students in the Program

First- and second-year UCSF medical students are matched for a period of at least one year with pediatric cancer patients based on shared interests, hobbies, backgrounds, primary language, and other criteria.

Medical students visit with STARS kids on a regular basis while the kids are in the hospital as inpatients, talking with them and participating in activities such as reading, video games, and arts and crafts. The medical students are also in phone contact with STARS kids while the kids are at home and receiving outpatient treatment.

Medical students involved in the program are required to take a 10-week elective that covers issues surrounding the pediatric experience of serious illness, the persecptive of the patient's family and impact on family dynamics, the roles of various healthcare professionals in caring for pediatric cancer patients, types of childhood cancers, and other related topics.

The medical students involved have made a strong commitment to the program, and are all genuinely interested in the wellbeing of the children and adolescents enrolled in the program.

Why is Pediatric STARS Important?

Illness causes dramatic changes in a child's social structure: they may lose their normal routine, have restricted activities, or feel isolated when they are in the hospital and away from family and friends. It is our hope that the friendships formed between pediatric cancer patients and medical students will have a significant and meaningful impact on both the patients and their families.

Participation in the program also provides medical students with a valuable learning experience as they build relationships with pediatric cancer patients and learn about the impact of serious illness on both patients and their families. It has been our experience that medical students grow both personally and professionally from participation in Pediatric STARS, and it is our hope that this experience will contribute to their development into kind and compassionate physicians.

Quotes from Medical Students

• "This was a significant step in my process of becoming a healer."
• "The family has been very welcoming, and my STARS buddy is one of the most vibrant 8-year-olds I have ever met. It was a great feeling to walk into the room and see his face light up. He'll stand up in bed, bop up and down, smile, and ask, "Sponge Bob?'"
• "We shot hoops for a good hour - he won by three with the roar of the crowd - and when his mom came back he conceded: 'He's pretty cool.'"
• "All told, I think this experience has been great so far - he has someone to keep him company and play video games with, and I've learned quite a bit already about how cancer changes a child's (and parent's) life, not to mention had a great time along the way."
• "He asked me what kind of music I like and when I mentioned Jimi Hendrix he immediately brought out a book of his airbrush art. For 17 and just beginning, it was pretty amazing. This seemed to open up the gateway a bit and he began telling me stories surrounding his art teachers, friends, and ambitions."

Profesional Staff Involvement

The professional staff at UCSF is very supportive of the program. They are able to facilitate the process of enrolling pediatric cancer patients in the program by contacting the program leaders and discussing the benefits and details of the program with patients and their families.

We would especially like to thank Dr. Mignon Loh, Dr. Tim Kelly, Dr. Art Ablin, Dr. Gary Dahl, and the pediatric oncology Social Work and Child Life Specialist team: Anne Boulter, Anne Pearl, Eileen McCree, and Beatie Lazard.

For more information about the UCSF Medical Center, please visit the UCSF website and the UCSF Medical Center website.

Contact Us:

Current Pediatric STARS leaders (Class of 2009):
Ari Hoffman (Ari.Hoffman@ucsf.edu)
Danielle Shin (Danielle.Shin@ucsf.edu)
Kate Krizan (Katey.Krizan@ucsf.edu)
Will Collins (William.Collins@ucsf.edu)

Previous Pediatric STARS leaders (Class of 2008):
Chris Potter (Chris.Potter@ucsf.edu)
Marisa.Gardner (Marisa.Gardner@ucsf.edu)
Ravi Gogia (Ravi.Gogia@ucsf.edu)
Teresa Jones (Teresa.Jones@ucsf.edu)