Remembering our Hope for Medicine: Moral Formation and Pre-Medical Education
Moderator -
Jason Whitt, PhD., Associate Director of the Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor University
Panelists -
Alice Knaeble, BA '17 University Scholars, Baylor University
David Thien Le, BS '17, Biochemistry, Baylor University
Alexandra Villagran, BS '17, Neuroscience, Baylor University
This panel will be composed of three undergraduate pre-medical students who consider Christian moral formation as central to their pre-medical education. They will discuss the lack of formation and even deformation in typical pre-medical paths. Following their discussion of the existence and nature of this problem, they will provide insight into the ways in which pre-medical education might be reimagined.
The disenchantment of medicine pervades even undergraduate education and is a constraint upon living out the practices of the Christian life as a student. This is evident in a variety of ways among which are:
● The myopic focus on the sciences at the expense of the humanities.
● The failure to reflect upon the goals/ends of the vocation of medicine.
● The cultivation of a “checklist” mindset.
● The glorification of an imbalanced lifestyle that loses sight of friendship, sleep, and general well-being.
● The relegation of faith to a secondary position regarding considerations of professional life.
James K.A. Smith in Desiring the Kingdom, speaks of “false liturgies,” pedagogical practices that deform students’ beliefs and educational experiences. These liturgies form who we will become as medical professionals, whether we are aware of them or not. An approach to education which places information above formation is not one that is structured toward the moral formation that will sustain the life of the physician. The education of the Christian physician ought not to be a mere accrual of facts but an embodied participation in formative practices and habits.
The first panelist will discuss the history and development of his Christian university in regards to its progress toward becoming a world-class academic institution while preserving its Christian vision. From the perspective of a science major, he will explore the culture of the scientific community in regards to the vocation of science and the vocation of medicine. He will share examples of working outside the strict structures of his biochemistry degree plan in order to tend to his Christian formation. The need for the tradition of the Christian faith within curriculum will be emphasized as a way of animating the pursuit of his vocation and dissolving the false dichotomies of the sciences and humanities. He will also propose that his Christian research university is moving toward two polarizing trends: formation and deformation. The works of Alasdair MacIntyre and Stanley Hauerwas will be used to discuss the potential of higher education to unite the Christian worldview and Christian practices.
The second panelist will discuss the appetitive nature of the pre-medical curriculum and résumé building; this approach to life and learning leaves one empty, unfulfilled, and fatigued. This is the malady which Paul Griffiths characterizes in his book, Intellectual Appetite. Furthermore, this panelist will discuss how a Great Books curriculum, studying influential literature throughout the ages, has given her a more holistic preparation for the practice of medicine. C.S. Lewis’ idea of “first and second things” will be considered in regards to a balanced lifestyle. Lastly, she will reclaim a more Catholic understanding of the word “vocation,” an understanding which properly situates the practice of medicine within the Christian life. Habits of taking the sacraments daily and forming meaningful Christian friendships will be identified as ways of keeping the “vocation” of medicine in its proper place.
The final panelist, having pursued a more typical pre-medical curriculum, will discuss the pressure to study only science and the restrictive culture that results. Education focused exclusively on science is purported to be the most appropriate way to prepare for a medical career, presupposing that a physician is nothing more than a scientist or technician. Furthermore, the competitive culture, which glorifies stress, pridefulness, and autonomy, is defended as a natural consequence of this path. Using the work of Allen Verhey, this panelist will oppose the viewpoint that the science-only curriculum and this isolating culture are value-neutral necessities. Finally, she will discuss a specific solution to the issues presented by all three panelists: a pre-health organization that strives to keep Christ first and provide students with opportunities for formation, friendship, and service. She will share how this group has helped her gain back a hope for the future of medicine and excitement about her place within it.
Jason Whitt, PhD., Associate Director of the Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor University
Panelists -
Alice Knaeble, BA '17 University Scholars, Baylor University
David Thien Le, BS '17, Biochemistry, Baylor University
Alexandra Villagran, BS '17, Neuroscience, Baylor University
This panel will be composed of three undergraduate pre-medical students who consider Christian moral formation as central to their pre-medical education. They will discuss the lack of formation and even deformation in typical pre-medical paths. Following their discussion of the existence and nature of this problem, they will provide insight into the ways in which pre-medical education might be reimagined.
The disenchantment of medicine pervades even undergraduate education and is a constraint upon living out the practices of the Christian life as a student. This is evident in a variety of ways among which are:
● The myopic focus on the sciences at the expense of the humanities.
● The failure to reflect upon the goals/ends of the vocation of medicine.
● The cultivation of a “checklist” mindset.
● The glorification of an imbalanced lifestyle that loses sight of friendship, sleep, and general well-being.
● The relegation of faith to a secondary position regarding considerations of professional life.
James K.A. Smith in Desiring the Kingdom, speaks of “false liturgies,” pedagogical practices that deform students’ beliefs and educational experiences. These liturgies form who we will become as medical professionals, whether we are aware of them or not. An approach to education which places information above formation is not one that is structured toward the moral formation that will sustain the life of the physician. The education of the Christian physician ought not to be a mere accrual of facts but an embodied participation in formative practices and habits.
The first panelist will discuss the history and development of his Christian university in regards to its progress toward becoming a world-class academic institution while preserving its Christian vision. From the perspective of a science major, he will explore the culture of the scientific community in regards to the vocation of science and the vocation of medicine. He will share examples of working outside the strict structures of his biochemistry degree plan in order to tend to his Christian formation. The need for the tradition of the Christian faith within curriculum will be emphasized as a way of animating the pursuit of his vocation and dissolving the false dichotomies of the sciences and humanities. He will also propose that his Christian research university is moving toward two polarizing trends: formation and deformation. The works of Alasdair MacIntyre and Stanley Hauerwas will be used to discuss the potential of higher education to unite the Christian worldview and Christian practices.
The second panelist will discuss the appetitive nature of the pre-medical curriculum and résumé building; this approach to life and learning leaves one empty, unfulfilled, and fatigued. This is the malady which Paul Griffiths characterizes in his book, Intellectual Appetite. Furthermore, this panelist will discuss how a Great Books curriculum, studying influential literature throughout the ages, has given her a more holistic preparation for the practice of medicine. C.S. Lewis’ idea of “first and second things” will be considered in regards to a balanced lifestyle. Lastly, she will reclaim a more Catholic understanding of the word “vocation,” an understanding which properly situates the practice of medicine within the Christian life. Habits of taking the sacraments daily and forming meaningful Christian friendships will be identified as ways of keeping the “vocation” of medicine in its proper place.
The final panelist, having pursued a more typical pre-medical curriculum, will discuss the pressure to study only science and the restrictive culture that results. Education focused exclusively on science is purported to be the most appropriate way to prepare for a medical career, presupposing that a physician is nothing more than a scientist or technician. Furthermore, the competitive culture, which glorifies stress, pridefulness, and autonomy, is defended as a natural consequence of this path. Using the work of Allen Verhey, this panelist will oppose the viewpoint that the science-only curriculum and this isolating culture are value-neutral necessities. Finally, she will discuss a specific solution to the issues presented by all three panelists: a pre-health organization that strives to keep Christ first and provide students with opportunities for formation, friendship, and service. She will share how this group has helped her gain back a hope for the future of medicine and excitement about her place within it.