Rutgers medical students raise hospital patients' spirits with haircuts, shaves

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Enduring a hospital stay is not always easy and some Rutgers medical students are taking a new approach to boost their patients' spirits.

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School students are offering patients a haircut and a shave.

The Bergen Barbers Ivan Loncar, Hetal Lad, Sowntharya Ayyappan, and Shivani Srivastava are all students at Rutgers.

"Medicine is holistic, you have to not only be able to take care of your patients, you have to be able to talk to them you have to see them as a full person," Lad said.

They are continuing the initiative launched by Vaishali Ravikumar in 2021. She now works as an OBGYN intern at the University of Arizona.

So where does the name Bergen Barbers come from? It's named after Bergen Street in Newark, where University Hospital is located.

The students have no formal barbershop training, instead, they've learned their skills as many do these days, by watching YouTube videos.

The nursing staff helps the medical students select patients for the services.

The students have a QR-Code posted in the hospital so nurses can sign up their patients who would like to pay the team a visit.

"I noticed how much more confident I am talking to patients after working here. You don't know patients at first and you develop a great relationship by working with them so intimately," Ayyappan said.

A simple gesture of kindness can heal and touch someone so deeply.

Rutgers says that so far, Bergen Barbers have gotten rave reviews from patients including:

- "My head feels cleaner and more comfortable. I can feel a breeze again!"
- "Now I won't have food stuck in my beard and mustache, which has been grossing me out."
- "I wish I had my wallet here so I could pay you!"

"My own hair gets tangled after 2 days and I can't imagine how patients feel. They're here for weeks at a time and you start to feel a little less humane," Srivastava said.

Last year there were only four students and now there are 16 and are able to provide the services four days a week.

Bergen Barbers plans to hold a fundraiser in the future so they can purchase items like nail polish, aftershave, and products for textured and curly hair.

The combs brushes, shavers and other supplies are all disposable so donations help replenish their supplies.

(Information provided by Rutgers.com)