Come See What the Doctor Sees; A Hospital Trip With Dr. Bip

Trying very hard to be like Bill Nye, The Science Guy (the outstanding PBS science program for kids), Come See What the Doctor Sees is an informative but quite uneven introduction to what the doctor sees (and hears) during a routine physical exam. Young viewers will get a close-up look at the eye, ear, throat, lungs, and heart, as well as the nervous, circulatory and digestive systems. The graphics are good but not remarkable; the host, Dr. Pancreas, not nearly as funny as the program would like us to believe (a joke about anemia seems particularly out of place); and the many pop quizzes unfair (since the information isn't covered prior to the question). Elementary school audiences might benefit from this, with the aid of a good instructor (especially with the accompanying teacher's guide); for others this is a very optional purchase.A Hospital Trip With Dr. Bip gives children an overview of what to expect during a trip to the hospital for surgery. The animated balloon-shaped Dr. Bip, speaking in rhymed couplets, follows a young boy during pre- and post-operative surgery, from filling out admissions forms to that wonderful wheelchair ride to freedom. Although the refrain that "nothing will hurt" is a wee bit on the "little white lie" side, contemporary anesthesiology has indeed made pre-surgery less painful (children often receive just enough gas to put them mildly to sleep, and then the IV is inserted). Adult viewers might also balk at the notion of self-administered medications in the patient's room, but children between 5-9 or so--the age group for this video--often have this option, which is computer-measured. Originally used in pediatric doctors' offices, this program is a good choice (and substantially discounted) for libraries. A 9-minute version is also available for outpatient surgery patients (which simply leaves off the hospital stay segment), but the longer version would be fine alone. Recommended. (R. Pitman)