Following Hippocrates

The last four years were tough for doctors trying to live out their faith at work. Conditions have improved under the Trump administration, but as WORLD’s Addie Offereins discovered, healthcare providers aren’t convinced protections for conscience rights will last. You can read more about it in her story, “New treatment plan,” in this issue. As part of her reporting, Addie attended a conference put on by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA). I asked her to share some of what she learned.

Conscience protections aren’t enforced equally across states. How does that affect the places Christian doctors and nurses choose to work? One of the doctors I interviewed for my article moved halfway across the country to find a workplace environment less hostile toward her Christian convictions. Mike Chupp, CMDA’s CEO, told me he knows of several doctors like her who have chosen to relocate over a lack of adequate conscience protections.

What other types of issues are Christian medical professionals currently the most concerned about? Physicians spoke about recent trends in human trafficking and how to better identify and care for patients in vulnerable situations. One breakout session dealt with how medical professionals are addressing rising acceptance of euthanasia and abortion. Another delved into the growing popularity of “medical” marijuana and its dangers.

One doctor, who also teaches at a medical school, ended her presentation with Biblical examples. She reflected on how nice it was to speak openly about Biblical things among like-minded professionals and students. Christian professionals are always maintaining a delicate balance between treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—and respecting the policies of their secular workplaces.

Medical missions have long been a cornerstone of sharing the gospel around the world. Did the doctors and nurses you talked to still have a desire to work in the mission field? Nicholas Comninellis, the president of the Institute for International Medicine, told me fewer medical professionals are deciding to serve abroad in a long-term capacity. They’d much rather participate in a short-term trip, he said. Comninellis attributes some of the growing hesitation to young doctors’ concerns about “work-life balance.” He also worries that some churches don’t emphasize the “imperative of the gospel” as emphatically as they once did, focusing, instead, on deepening the local church.

But young doctors—and some older ones, too—are still choosing to commit to long-term missions. Comninellis told me he encourages doctors to make the move as soon as possible after they finish their education and pay off their loans. But he also gets emails from 55-year-old empty nesters who tell him they’ve always wanted to be a medical missionary and now that they finally have the time, wonder if it’s still possible. “And I reply to them, Absolutely,” he said. “You’re at the top of your game. Let’s get you out there.”