The “Little Doctors” was the brainchild of Zehra and and Ali Alvi– who trained students as “little doctors” – to provide information to their peers about personal hygiene, healthy lifestyle, prevention of diseases and promotion of health.
The program has been built on the concept of child-to-child education, which engages children in learning about health issues and encourages them to disseminate their knowledge to other children, their families and their communities.
The idea is that a healthy lifestyle adopted by the “Little Doctors” throughout their own lives will have a huge positive impact in the future health of the children and the community.
Little Doctors students are to become Ambassadors and agents of change for improving hygiene, sanitation, healthy living and knowledge on health in their community.
The Little Doctor trainees will learn through games and lessons. They will enforce the importance of personal hygiene for their classmates to trim their nails, brushed their teeth, washed their hands, and bathed regularly. They also will learn how to provide limited first aid, monitor height and weight, take blood pressure, use an EpiPen, promote physical exercise and activity, advocate healthy nutrition and teach other students to pick up garbage and clean their surrounding and community. Various diseases and prevention will be taught to age appropriate grades.
Little doctors will host community and local school events such as blood, food and clothing drives for local and international causes. In times of natural disasters little doctors will collect financial and medical donations for pandemics, earthquake, tsunami, and flood victims.
All little doctors will get a quarterly medical newsletter with the latest medical updates, members submissions, and information on the organization. The organizing members with positions will lead chapters at other local schools for expanding interest by doing ½ day seminars.
Zehra Alvi
Co-Founder
Ali Alvi
Co-Founder
Zehra Alvi
I am a student at the University of Toronto Schools in Grade 11. My passion is medicine and healthcare and that is why I started this club 4 years back along with my brother, while I was in grade 7. I feel that hygiene and sanitation is an aspect missing from our education system. Living in a developed world we take these things for granted and I strongly feel that they are ignored. These are the pivotal requirements for a healthy community which need to be taught early in childhood. I made it my mission to teach first aid, diseases and prevention and healthy lifestyle! Join us in reaching our goal!
Ali Alvi
Integrating AI and Robotics with medicine is where I see my future. My passion is hands on skills in medicine. I was the youngest student to complete my Standard First Aid and CPR C AED training at the age of 11 years old. I feel that all students should be taught first aid and CPR as these are vital skills required at the split of the moment to save a life! While we are taught to play an instrument why are we not taught life saving procedures as a society? I felt the responsibility to take my abilities and stimulate my peers in developing these valuable assets by using our platform. I am passionate to teach and improve the quality of life for us all!
Michael Fein
Harvard College Consulting Group
Thank you for participating in our research and filling out our survey. Your contribution was extremely important to understanding how COVID-19 has affected students.
Rachel Reardon
Harvard Medical Student
A group of Harvard Medical students collaborated with the Little Doctors and their co-founders, Zehra and Ali, who organized an online session for us to do a live simulation on how to diagnose and treat a COVID patient. We had a great turn out of 30 students! It was interactive, engaging, and a wonderful time spent.
Lisa Bower
Local Councillor
“Little Doctors Zehra and Ali know their stuff! I found their presentations about Covid-19 informative and helpful, and I especially liked the tips they provided for coping with some of the stresses of staying home during a pandemic. Thank you for teaching me about the 20/20/20 rule!”
Ali Hirji
Faculty Durham College
“Knowledge translation is a specialized skillset that takes years of professional experience to develop. To know how to take a complex concept and present it to younger age groups is a specialist skillset that Ali and Zehra have mastered. I truly believe that in our new normal, Little Doctors will pave the way for a future generation of big thinkers and big picture folks. They are doing wonders in creating more awareness around health and technology and I look forward to more work with them”
Marilyn Crawford
Regional Councillor
“I had a wonderful time moderating a session with the Little Doctors. Kids talking to Kids about the Corona Virus. My granddaughter was listening in to the discussion and really enjoyed asking questions, listening to other children questions and hearing the answers, great job”
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