What Parents Should Know
Parents, this software is an excellent teaching source for
learning first-aid. Kids will know they are playing it to learn
but will find it fun anyway. You may want to warn them that the
graphics are not very high-tech.
Common Sense Media Review
A honeybee stings your child. Would he or she know that they
need to remove the stinger? Would they know what to do if they
burned themselves while taking a pizza out of the oven?
These first-aid questions are addressed in D.M. DINWIDDIE, PHYSICIAN-IN-TRAINING, a new interactive software title.
Developed by Health Media Lab with grants from the National Institutes of Health, the software teaches children to identify and treat the following 12 common medical conditions: burns, choking, insect bites and stings, bumps and bruises, cuts and bleeding, sunburn, sprains and broken bones, food poisoning, common cold, influenza, tonsillitis, and appendicitis.
Kids gain this medical knowledge by becoming D.M. Dinwiddie, a 12-year old girl or boy (player's choice) who is earning a Medical Arts Achievement Badge. Through a series of interactive adventures, D.M. finds injured characters in her virtual neighborhood, including her little brother who has an insect bite.
By looking at and talking to the injured characters, and then using a special MedLab (an onscreen database that serves as a reference and diagnostic guide) and her First-Aid kit, D.M. is able to diagnose and treat the hurt people.
Parents, this title does an excellent job of teaching first-aid in an interactive setting. Although its graphical presentation is simplistic, kid-testers enjoyed playing through the 12 adventures and welcomed learning first-aid by helping virtual people instead of simply memorizing medical conditions.
Teachers, a school version is also available for $89.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
