Toy Medicine 2015
Associate’s Toy Medicine Textbook
Authors: Dr. Erin Williams, TMD
In partnership with Dr. Braxton Maust, TMD and with the
special help of the Whitefish family.
Thank you!
Introduction
Welcome to Toy Medicine—Associate’s Textbook 2014! Written by Dr. Erin
Williams, owner and toy medical doctor of Dr. Erin and Dr. Braxton’s Toy Health
Clinic of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this book was designed to help you get your ATM
(Associate of Toy Medicine) in, well, toy medicine! As you level up, you will also be
introduced to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate levels of instruction through 3
future textbooks in this series.
Let’s get started with this 2-month course with a brief overlook of the contents of
your textbook:
Unit 1: Introduction to Toy Medicine
Chapter 1: What is Toy Medicine?
1.1: Overview of toy medicine
1.2: Toy medicine and the patient
1.3: Toy medicine and the registered patient
1.4: Toy medicine as the associate
Chapter 2: Concepts in Toy Medicine
2.1: Communication with toys
2.2: The Chako and basic measurement within the Chako system
2.3: Using visual aids with younger toys
2.4: The registration process
2.5: Understanding tasks and rules for the associate
Unit 2: Tools and the Examination Process
Chapter 1: Examination Tools
1.1: The stethoscope
1.2: The otoscope
1.3: The measuring tape, height chart, and weighing scale
1.4: The blood pressure cuff
1.5: The flashlight, tongue depressor, and eye chart/eye cover
Chapter 2: The Examination Process
2.1: The initial examination introduction
2.2: The examination chart
Unit 3: Normal Functions in the Toy
Chapter 1: Normal Functions of the Stuffed Toy/Doll
Chapter 2: Normal Functions of the “Hard Toy”/Toy Vehicle
Now that you are familiar with the layout of your textbook, let’s begin with Unit 1!
This is going to be a great month!
Chapter 1: What is Toy Medicine?
1.1: Overview of toy medicine
1.2: Toy medicine and the patient
1.3: Toy medicine and the registered patient
1.4: Toy medicine as the associate
Chapter 2: Concepts in Toy Medicine
2.1: Communication with toys
2.2: The Chako and basic measurement within the Chako system
2.3: Using visual aids with younger toys
2.4: The registration process
2.5: Understanding tasks and rules for the associate
Lesson 1: Overview of Toy Medicine
Toy Medicine is a very unusual type of medical field. Rather than dealing with
humans, you deal with the health and wellbeing of some patients rarely ever
thought about: toys, stuffed animals, and dolls. But why them? Because they need
medical attention too, just as you and I do. They may not be able to feel pain, have
illnesses, or even care, but the purpose of toy medicine is to make a human child
happy to have his toy or doll back; in a sense, toy medicine is fixing broken toys.
In this 1-month course you will find that you will have the adventure of your
lifetime. As an Associate of Toy Medicine, or ATM, you will be certified to fulfill a
much-needed position at Dr. Erin and Dr. Braxton’s Toy Health Clinic; particularly
examining patients, registering patients, and collecting patients’ personal
information.
As you gain knowledge in your position as an associate, you will be introduced to a
Bachelor’s degree course (2 months), a Master’s degree course (3 months) and a
Doctorate degree course (also 3 months). When you become a doctor, you will be a
certified TMD, or Toy Medical Doctor.
For now, good for you to have made the decision to get an education in the
associate’s level of toy medicine! You are just beginning the adventure of your
lifetime, and more and more experiences to come when you become a TMD!
Throughout this chapter, you will learn multiple introductory lessons vital to
becoming an ATM, such as:
Toy medicine and the patient
Toy medicine and the registered patient
Toy medicine as the associate
These three important topics are the foundation for all of toy medicine. You will deal
with these three scenarios throughout your entire career as an ATM. Learning about
each is vital to getting your degree as an Associate of Toy Medicine.
Lesson 2: Toy Medicine and the Patient
This is the most basic form of all three different scenarios you will deal with as an
ATM. Most patients you receive will be considered either “Patient” or “Registered
Patient.” A Patient is any toy who is brought into the doctor’s office in an emergency
or in need of regular tune-up. They cannot schedule surgeries or examinations. A
Registered Patient is any toy who has, with their owner, completed a valid, up-todate, and signed registration form and comes into the doctor’s office regularly for
monthly examinations, in an emergency, in need of some regular tune-up, and can
schedule appointments and surgeries. They also have the permission to stay in the
hospital overnight or for extended periods of time in the particular clinic they are
registered in. Today’s lesson will focus of Patients and what to do in certain
scenarios.
Scenario 1: A doll and her owner walk into the clinic with the doll complaining of a
mild problem. What should the associate do?
Answer: The associate should plan and perform an examination, then turn her over
to the doctor for further help.
Scenario 2: A stuffed whale and his owner walk into the clinic with an emergency
situation involving the whale being left outside in the pouring rain. What should the
associate do?
Answer: The associate should immediately turn him over to the doctor and be ready
to assist the doctor if needed.
Scenario 3: The initial examination for the doll is over, and her owner wants to
schedule a follow-up appointment. What should the associate do?
Answer: The associate should tell the owner and patient that unless they are
registered, appointments cannot be scheduled.
Scenario 4: The stuffed whale is fixed, but the owner wants more information on
how to register a patient so the whale can get a follow-up examination. What should
the associate do?
Answer: The associate should give the owner information about registering a
patient, then help them complete a registration form. (Lesson 2.4 will discuss more
about the registration process.)
Lesson 3: Toy Medicine and the Registered Patient
Now that you are familiar with what to do in certain scenarios with Patients, let’s
move on to Registered Patients. These patients receive benefits, such as hospital
stays, examinations, tours, special patient conventions and activities, and an
opportunity to join Dr. Erin’s Toy Medicine Charter School, a school for toys of all
years (grades, 9 years total) interested in going into the Toy Medicine field as their
careers. Registered patients basically have Dr. Erin as their regular doctor, just as
you and I have regular doctors and dentists. Let’s do a few simple exercises with
common scenarios involving Registered Patients:
Scenario 1: Maggie the doll is complaining of losing her stuffing. After her diagnosis
is confirmed by the doctor, she is hospitalized until her treatment is finished.
As an associate, in these types of scenarios, you will need to make sure all of the
patient’s information is up-to-date. You will need to give Maggie a hospital wrist tag,
which identifies her as a Registered Hospitalized Patient. When the doctor
discharges her, you need to mark off on her hospital notes that she was discharged
on the date she was discharged, say, June 21st, 2015.
Scenario 2: A Registered Patient and his owner want to discontinue their
registration because they are moving out of the area.
As an associate, you will need to do a discontinuation-examination, which is just like
a regular examination but it is for their new doctors’ reference. Then you must go
through the discontinuation process with the owner and patient (as explained in
Lesson 2.4). Don’t forget to wish this patient and owner well in their new home!
Scenario 3: Jilly the toy airplane is in for her routine monthly examination. After the
exam, she and her owner want to schedule her next monthly examination.
As an associate, you need to assist Jilly and her owner in creating the best
combination of date and time according to Jilly and her owner’s schedule, your own,
and depending on how many patients you have scheduled and at what times on
particular dates. Together, come up with an appointment and plan to fit everyone’s
needs.
Lesson 4: Toy Medicine as the Associate
This is the most common form of the three scenarios, mainly because it involves,
well, you! Toy Medicine as the Associate is probably the most important of the three,
too, because you are the main focus of it.
As an associate, you will have 5 main duties, all of which are vital for your career as
an ATM. These duties and tasks performed by the associate are as follows:
Examine patients
Register and de-register patients
Care for hospitalized patients
Care for new, small, or large toys
Write patient notes, information, and hospital-stay records
These are the 5 duties associate’s are authorized and certified to perform. You as the
associate are responsible for each and every assigned task by the doctor. Here are
some common scenarios:
Scenario 1: Morris, the toy train, is in for a routine monthly examination. The doctor
is out, so you as the associate should:
Answer: Perform the examination, but hold off on questionable duties that the
associate may or may not be able to do themselves.
Scenario 2: Hospitalized doll Betherina is doing fine and is about to be discharged,
but needs a thorough examination before leaving. The associate performs this
important examination, but should she check with the doctor to see if she missed
anything?
Answer: Yes, and always. No matter what the scenario, always double-check with
the doctor when doing a hospital examination. That way, if you missed anything, the
doctor can correct it with ease.
Scenario 3: Marcus and Mabel are two Bitty Twins dolls. They and their owner want
to register for the clinic the associate works at. Should you fill out 1 or 2 forms?
Answer: 2 forms, because there are two patients. NEVER fill out one form for one
family consisting of multiple patients. 1 form per patient is required for record and
privacy purposes.
Lesson 1: Communication with Toys
What you first need to know is that toys of today use and understand a system of
measurement called Chakos, as discussed in Lesson 2.2. Although they cannot talk,
you already know that they need help as we do. That means that we must learn to
communicate with them without verbal language.
Which basically means that you need to do some investigation and research to find
out what is wrong with your patient, and to make sure your patient is healthy. This
research can include registration sheets, old records or hospital stay records, and
person-to-person communication with the owner or human relatives/friends of the
patient or his owner.
When you investigate, you are actually intently searching and looking for something
healthy or something unhealthy within the patient. Use your eyes, tools (as
discussed in Unit 2, Chapter 1) and other senses to locate a problem, notify the
doctor, and succeed with the patient.
These are the most basic forms of toy communication. As you progress with your
schooling and your career in toy medicine, these concepts will become more
advanced.
It’s also a good idea to have some prior knowledge about the 5 senses and brush up
on your communication skills. Some good ways to exercise these skills are:
Read large, detailed texts
Be talkative!
Read books
Go outside and sketch a nature scene
Relax on a cool autumn evening
Explore different textures: grass, leaves, bark, spider webs, you name it!
Compare smells of spices and herbs
Travel often
Listen to bird sounds and identify birds by their calls
Try tasting a strawberry or other fruit with salt. Then taste a pickle with
sugar.
Eat a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and flavors of different foods at
every meal
Lesson 2: The Chako and Basic Measurement within the Chako System
Now we are going to learn about the basic, 3-way measurement system used by all
toys and toy medicine employees and doctors for simplification. Learning the Chako
system is one very important piece of information you will need to know throughout
your toy medicine career.
The Chako unit is used in a 3-way form: Height, Weight, and Age. The basis of height
is inches to Chakos, the basis of weight is ounces to Chakos, and the basis of age is
months or years to Chakos. This simple table will help in understanding the ways to
measure in each category:
Inches
Feet
Pounds
Ounces
Years
Months
Height
*
*
Weight
Age
*
*
*
*
The symbol for the Chako is 𝜍. When using this symbol, place it at the end of each
number.
These are the Chako equivalents to the English system:
Inches: 1 inch = 5 𝜍 i
Feet: 1 foot = 60 𝜍 f
Ounces: 1 ounce = 10 𝜍 o
Pounds: 1 pound = 160 𝜍 p
Months: 1 month = 11 𝜍 m (add 10 to number, don’t multiply)
Years: 1 year = 11 𝜍 y (add 10 to the number, don’t multiply)
Bullets in boldface indicate that that unit of measure is the one most often used at
toy health clinics. Let’s practice with some scenarios.
Scenario 1: 5 ounces = 50 𝜍 o
Scenario 2: 3 years = 13 𝜍 y
Scenario 3: 8 months = 18 𝜍 m
Scenario 4: 7 inches = 35 𝜍 i
Scenario 5: 2 feet = 120 𝜍 f
Lesson 3: Using Visual Aids with Younger Toys
Young toys need visuals and simple instructions to do well in school and out in the
world. The same goes for understanding certain things at their doctor’s office. When
giving a young toy an examination or explaining something, there are steps you have
to take to be sure they understand.
During an eye examination, young toys will not be able to read the letters on the
standard eye chart. Instead, you will have to use a pictorial eye chart with pictures
instead of letters. You examine vision the same way, only with pictures (as discussed
in Unit 2, Chapters 1 and 2).
Visual aids such as our “practice doll” can be used to show a young or frightened
patient exactly what will be done to them during particular procedures. For
example, if a young toy is afraid of getting a shot, the associate might show them on
the practice doll how they give shots. Most of the time, this technique works well
with younger toys.
Young toys often have short attention spans, so activity and preoccupation is
important during the examination process. Whiteboards and markers, coloring
books, and “toys for toys” in the waiting room can make this overwhelming process
much easier and will go much smoother.
Be creative! Your talents are the best primary source for imagination and attention.
Put on a pretend medical show with the practice doll and other tools and patients,
have a mini coloring contest, and offer delicious or exciting rewards for doing well.
Good luck and have fun!
Lesson 4: The Registration Process
As you learned in Chapter 1, Lesson 3, the Registered Patient is the type of patient
you will be dealing with and examining most. But where do they come from? How
do they become registered?
This is where you come in. You register the patient, schedule appointments, and
examine. And registration is the basis of all of it, so it’s very important that you learn
this concept so you can actually examine the patients! (See how all the concepts and
information in toy medicine is all linked in some way, shape, or form?)
There are two ways to bring up talk of registration:
The patient brings it up at an emergency visit or a drop-in informational visit
You bring it up at an emergency visit
If the patient asks about registration, give them information they need to know
about registration and begin the process. If they come in for an emergency visit but
do not bring it up, bring it up yourself. Say, “Would you like to register your patient
at Dr. Erin and Dr. Braxton’s Toy Health Clinic? We offer multiple benefits plus
hospital stay options if you are registered.”
If in fact they do decide to register, schedule a time for the registration, sit down
with the patient and her owner, and begin.
It’s a quite simple process:
Step 1: Explain your clinic’s benefits, options, and package plans
Step 2: Answer questions
Step 3: Have owner and patient complete a registration form and decide on
their benefits package
Step 4: Answer any other questions
Step 5: Schedule their first wellness visit, and anything extra, such as a tour
of the clinic!
Happy registering!
Lesson 5: Understanding Tasks and Rules for the Associate
You may think becoming an associate includes almost everything you can imagine,
but you still have rules and limits to the tasks you can do. This is a very simple
lesson, but extremely important one, not only to you, but also to the health and
wellbeing of your patients. These lists of do’s and don’ts will help you succeed:
DO- Tasks of the Associate
Perform wellness examinations
Care for hospitalized patients (under doctor’s orders)
Register patients
Assist the doctor
Assist Bachelors and Masters
Record and access patient information
Record examination and hospital information
Clean up and sanitize
Feed hospitalized patients (under doctor’s orders)
Schedule appointments
Order bandages, OTC medications, and other common items under doctor
supervision and orders
DON’T- What Associates are NOT Authorized to Do
Diagnose patients
Treat patients
Prescribe medication
Care for or feed hospitalized patients without orders from the doctor
Admit patients to the hospital or discharge patients from the hospital
Perform surgeries
Order prescription medications, shots, or potentially harmful supplies
Order surgeries, further evaluations, or anything else needed to be ordered
by a doctor only
Perform further evaluations
Do any type of work normally done by Bachelors, Masters, or doctors
Violating ANY don’ts could lead to termination of your position as an associate, so it
is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you follow all rules and regulations, especially
ones that the doctor you work for sets, even if the ones she enforces are listed in this
Do list.
Chapter 1: Examination Tools
1.1: The stethoscope
1.2: The otoscope
1.3: The measuring tape, height chart, and weighing scale
1.4: The blood pressure cuff
1.5: The flashlight, tongue depressor, and eye chart/eye cover
Chapter 2: The Examination Process
2.1: The initial examination introduction
2.2: The examination chart
Lesson 1: The Stethoscope
The stethoscope is probably one of the most important tools to learn how to use
during an examination because it measures the practical basis of life: the heart!
Using a stethoscope is fairly easy, when used properly. It is used to calculate
secondary pulse, breathing rate, and heart rate.
Primary pulse: the act of placing two fingers on the hood crease (a toy car), just
below the base of the thumb and palm (doll), and for all other toys, a high-usage
area near the heart. Calculate heart rate by counting beats per 30 seconds (BP30s).
Normal for “hard toys” is around 50-100 BP30s. Normal for dolls and stuffed toys is
around 30-70 BP30s.
Secondary pulse: the act of placing the stethoscope on the site for taking primary
pulse. Calculate heart rate by listening for each pulse, with the same BP30s level as
calculating primary pulse. Secondary pulse can be used if the pulse is difficult to
locate or if the patient is restless or frightened.
Breathing rate: Calculating the breathing rate involves placing the stethoscope first
on the left back lung (top and bottom), next on the right back lung (again top and
bottom), and finally on the middle of the upper back (dolls and stuffed animals). For
toy vehicles, the breathing calculation site is the engine. For other “hard toys”, this
site is found closest to the right side of the heart area. To calculate, hold the
stethoscope to the calculation site, then ask the patient to inhale slowly and then
exhale slowly. As they are inhaling, listen for fluid in the lungs, which will sound like
a bubbling or running noise. As they are exhaling, listen for any blockages, such as
mucus or stuffing, in the trachea, or “air pipe.” Next calculate breathing rate, which
is done by counting breaths per 30 seconds (BrP30s). Normal is about 15-20 BrP30s
for dolls and stuffed animals, and normal for “hard toys” is around 10-15 BrP30s.
Heart rate: This is the easiest and most important calculation. To calculate, hold
stethoscope to the heart area and calculate beats per 30 seconds, as you would with
pulse-taking. Normal findings are explained in the primary pulse section.
Lesson 2: The Otoscope
The otoscope can be used to examine 4 areas: ears, eyes, nose, and throat. The
otoscope usage only applies to dolls and stuffed animals because other types of toys
do not have ears, eyes, noses, or throats. This guide will teach you how to use the
otoscope in each area:
Ears: To examine the ears, first place the otoscope close to, but not touching, the
ears. Look through the otoscope to find abnormalities and infections. A normal ear
should include a skin tone or fabric color, a little bit of stuffing, and a quite simple
structure.
Eyes: To examine the ears, first place the otoscope close to, but not touching, the
eyes. Look through the otoscope to find abnormalities, unclear or cloudy spots, and
infections. A normal eye should include the white, iris, and pupil. The eye may be
beady or marble-like, clear, and smooth. It may also be painted, so look for flaws in
the paint.
Nose: To examine the nose, place the otoscope at the base of, but not into, each
nostril. Look through the otoscope to find abnormalities, build-up or “gunk”, and
flaws. A normal nostril should have barely any opening, and should be the same
color as the “skin” or fabric around it.
Throat: To examine the throat, first use a tongue depressor to hold down the
tongue to get a better view of the throat (tongue depressor usage discussed in
lesson 1.5). DO NOT let the otoscope touch the mouth or lips, and ALWAYS wash
after use. Look through the otoscope to find abnormalities, blockages of the
esophagus and trachea, infections, abnormal coloring, or swelling. Normal throats
should be free of mucus, build-up, or excess stuffing, and should be pinkish or white
in color.
Lesson 3: The Measuring Tape, Height Chart, and Weighing Scale
These tools are very important to the examination, as they measure the patient and
how she is developing. Follow this guide to learn about how to measure and weigh a
patient:
Measuring Tape
Measure the head size of a toy: normal is anywhere from 3 inches (15 𝜍 i) to
12 inches (60 𝜍 i), depending on the toy and his size
Measure young toys: normal is anywhere from 2 inches (10 𝜍 i) to 18 inches
(90 𝜍 i)
Height Chart
Measure the height of a toy: normal is anywhere from 5 𝜍 to 150 𝜍, depending
on the toy and how he compares to others his type and age
Weighing Scale
Measure the weight of a toy: normal is basically anything, depending on the
toy and how she compares to others her type and age
Using percentiles: Toys in the lower percentiles (49 and lower) are toys who are
generally smaller or shorter than most toys their type and age. Toys in percentiles
lower than 5 are considered unhealthy for that category (height, weight, etc.). Toys
in the middle percentiles (40-60) are toys who are generally about the same
compared with most toys their type and age. These are the healthiest toys for that
category. Toys in the upper percentiles (50 and higher) are toys who are generally
bigger or taller than most toys their type and age. Toys in percentiles higher than 95
are considered unhealthy for that category.
To calculate the percentile of a patient, say, for weight, first take the weight of your
patient, say, 40 𝜍 o(4 ounces), and compare it to the average for toys her age and
type, say, 45 𝜍 o. Then subtract the lower number from the higher number to get the
percentile number. The percentile number is the number you get when subtracting,
NOT the actual percentile. The closer to zero the percentile number, the closer the
percentile is to 50. To get the percentile, subtract the percentile number from 50 (if
the patient’s weight is lower than average) or add the percentile number to 50 (if
the patient’s weight is higher than average). For example, 45 Ounce-Chakos
(average) – 40 Ounce-Chakos (patient weight) = 5 (percentile number). Then do 50
(middle percentile) minus (because the patient’s weight is below average) 5
(percentile number) = 45 (percentile). Simplified: 45 𝜍 o- 40 𝜍 o = 5; 50 – 5 = 45.
Lesson 4: The Blood Pressure Cuff
Using a blood pressure cuff can be a bit tricky, so pay attention carefully to this
lesson. The easy part is wrapping the cuff around a patient’s arm or body. Wrap it
around to one human finger width can fit in between the cuff and the patient’s body
(vehicle or “hard toy”) or arm (stuffed animal or doll). Next comes the tricky part:
calculating the blood pressure, which is measured in number-over-number
(example: 23/50).
To calculate blood pressure, first squeeze the bulb-handle a few times until the cuff
bulges and you can’t make the needle on the blood pressure gauge go up any
further. The number the needle is pointing to is the bottom number. Next, let go of
the bulb and count seconds until the needle goes back down to zero and the cuff
becomes flat again. The number of seconds it takes for this to happen is the top
number. Example: needle initially points to 60 on the gauge (bottom number = 60);
needle goes back to zero after letting go of the bulb and the cuff becomes flat (takes
34 seconds, top number = 34). So this blood pressure number would be: 34/60, read
34 over 60.
For dolls and stuffed animals, normal blood pressure top number is anywhere from
20 – 50, and bottom number is anywhere from 50 – 70.
For “hard toys” and toy vehicles, normal blood pressure top number is anywhere
from 30 – 60, and bottom number is anywhere from 60 – 80.
Lesson 5: The Flashlight, Tongue Depressor, and Eye Chart/Eye Cover
These tools were compacted into one lesson because they are the simplest and
easiest to use. However, each tool serves its own special purpose important to the
examination process.
Flashlight: used for a better view of the ears, eyes, nose, and throat, or to examine a
particularly hard-to-see area of concern.
Tongue Depressor: used to hold the tongue down and out of the way so the
associate can see and examine the throat better.
Eye Chart: used to examine vision. To use, cover one eye with the eye cover and
have the patient read the chart. Use the pictorial chart for young patients and the
standard letter chart for older patients. Have them stand 5 feet away from the chart.
Next, have them read first line 5, then line 6, and so on until they cannot read the
letters or see the pictures anymore. Then test their near vision. Have them read line
4, then line 3, and so on until they complete the top of the chart or cannot see or
read it anymore. Do the same for the other eye. If they cannot read line 1, they have
90% far vision, line 2, 80% far vision, and so on, down to 50%. 50% vision is perfect
vision. If they cannot read line 6, they have 60% near vision, line 7, 70% near vision.
The closer they are to 50%, the better vision they have. If they have a near vision
percentage greater than 60 or 70, or a far vision percentage less than 30 or 40, they
will need a vision aid for toys, but the doctor will need to approve and order this.
Lesson 1: The Initial Examination Introduction
The initial examination is the routine wellness examination or emergency
examination, before a further evaluation or hospitalization is ordered. You as the
associate are responsible for performing this initial examination.
To begin the examination, explain thoroughly what you will be doing and how you
will be doing it. Show younger or frightened toys and dolls what you will be doing
on the practice doll. Use your available visual aids to enhance the experience.
After the introduction is settled, go over costs, fees, questions, concerns, and
problems with the owner. Review their registration form and make changes if
needed. Go over the previous monthly examination’s results and records so you are
refreshed of any problems or questionable areas of the patient, as well as any
medications the patient is on or current illnesses or injuries of the patient so you
know what to examine and what not to examine.
Once that is settled, it’s time to begin the initial examination. Start with the height,
weight, and blood pressure, then send the patient and owner back to the waiting
room if needed so the doctor or other employee has time to finish up with another
patient.
After another patient is finished with their visit, go to the examination room and
close the door for privacy purposes. Begin with the heart and breathing, then move
on to the otoscope functions and eye examination, if required.
When you are finished, bring your results to the doctor for analysis (discussed in
lessons 2.2 and 2.3). Bring up any concerns or problems. If needed, the doctor or
Master will handle a further evaluation or hospitalization since the associate is not
authorized to do so. Your job is complete. If the doctor or Master gives you the “goahead,” you may dismiss your patient with a goodie or sticker!
Lesson 2: The Examination Chart
As you examine your patient, you will need to fill out a chart to record your findings.
The chart looks something like this:
Heart Lungs
Blood
Ears Eyes Nose Throat Height Weight
Pressure
Statistics/Normal
Findings
Abnormal
Findings
Notes/Specifics
Diagnosis
Treatment
When you fill out this chart, you will leave both the Diagnosis and Treatment spaces
blank, as those are for the doctor to fill out. The doctor will examine the patient if
you show her a chart with ANY abnormal findings listed on it. So it is your job as the
associate to ACCURATELY record ALL findings during the examination!
As well as filling out the chart, your detailed notes are needed for the doctor to
assess the patient’s health at the time of the examination. You are the one
examining, so you have a first-hand experience of what you have seen during the
examination. The doctor can only rely on your chart and notes, so make sure you
follow up every category with detailed notes, either on the given space on the chart
form or on a separate sheet of paper. Your notes count!
When you give your examination chart/report to the doctor, she will overlook it
before the patient and owner leave. If she tells you the patient is perfectly healthy,
then he is! Dismiss the owner and patient with a goodie or sticker!
If, on the other hand, the doctor notices an abnormal finding or noted area of
concern on the examination chart/report, she will examine the patient and may
order hospitalization or a further evaluation. If she does, your job is done, but stick
around. The doctor may need your help!
Chapter 1: Normal Functions of the Stuffed Toy/Doll
Chapter 2: Normal Functions of the “Hard Toy”/Toy Vehicle
The body of a stuffed toy or doll is simple. It consists of 5 main components:
Stuffing
Fabric/Seaming
Plastics/Rubbers
Beads/Embellishments
Paint/Coatings
Each component is essential to the toy or doll, as are similar components to us as
humans. Each must work properly to fit in with the system and make the patient,
well, a patient!
Your job as an associate is to make sure these components are working properly
and are in good condition. That’s what being an ATM is all about—helping your
patients!
The normal findings are simple:
Body contains all 5 components
All 5 components are working properly
All 5 components are in good condition
Soft, fluffy body and (for dolls) smooth, medium-hardness “skin” (plastic or
rubber)
White polyester fiberfill or “fuzz and beads” for stuffing
Dry, clean body
Shiny eyes, paint, and embellishments
Seams and fabric in tact
Growth and development: dolls and stuffed toys do not grow. In some cases,
water-growing toys (or sponges, etc.) will grow to a specific size when placed in
water for a specific time period. Some toys may also be smaller or larger than others
of the same type.
Look for these normal findings in your patients always!
Toy vehicles and “hard toys” have much more components and pieces than stuffed
toys and dolls:
Wheels/Tires
Engine/Grill
Plastics/Rubbers
Windows/Glasses
Paints/Finishes/Coatings
Embellishments
Various Materials
Various Colors
Various Textures
Various Pieces/Parts
Various Types of Toy
The normal findings are more complex:
Black, rubber, or plastic wheels and tires
Shiny body/paint
Clear windows/glass
Embellishments in good condition
Variety of materials used
Variety of colors and textures used
Variety of toy and piece/part types used
Bright paints and finishes
Smooth body and glass
Materials in tact
Growth and development: hard toys usually are not associated with any type of
growth; however, some toys may be purposely smaller or larger than others of the
same type.
Look for these normal findings, especially growth and development (if applicable) in
your patients always!
Please print out two copies of the following page: one for you, one for your
supervisor/administrator/doctor at the clinic you work at.
This certifies that
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
has successfully completed ______________
And is authorized by
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
to practice the Associate of Toy Medicine (ATM) curriculum at
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This ______________day of _________________________ , ________________
____________________________________________________________________
Doctor’s Signature
____________________________________________________________________
ATM’s Signature