Rooted Medicine: Deepening Medical Student's Education through Theological Studies
Moderator: Zane Yi, PhD Loma Linda School of Religion Program Director, MA Religion & Society Associate Professor, Theology Area
Panelists: Landon Sayler, MA Curriculum and Instruction, MA Religion and Society, Loma Linda University; Jonathon Goorhuis, MA Religion and Society, Loma Linda University; Andrew Krause; and Kristoff Foster
Contemporary medical education is demanding. Due to the significant amount of knowledge and skills that students are expected to acquire during the four years of medical school, there are limited opportunities afforded medical students to engage in studies outside of their basic science and clinical education. As a result, the historical, theological, and philosophical contexts that influenced medicine’s development are often overlooked. This has implications for medical students’ understanding of the history, contemporary context, and the future of the medical profession. If medical students were given the opportunity to grapple with the complex and diverse influences that shaped their profession, they would be more robustly equipped for their careers.
At Loma Linda University, a dual degree program has been developed that provides medical students with this opportunity. Interested medical students take an additional year between their basic science and clinical studies to engage in theological studies, earning an MA in Religion and Society. Their developing medical knowledge and experience is placed in dialogue with various perspectives from the Christian tradition. This MD/MA dual degree is offered through a partnership between the Loma Linda University Schools of Medicine and Religion. The Religion and Society program can be pursued anytime during the four years of medical school, but is most commonly done following the second or third year of medical school. After earning the MA, usually in one academic year, the students proceed with their medical studies.
The intent of the session is to share four medical student perspectives of how graduate theological education has impacted their education and how it has rooted their practice of medicine in their Christian faith. Reflections will be offered by each panelist on how they have learned to better integrate their practice and faith, and how their theological studies have informed their future goals as physicians. Two of the students who will be presenting are currently enrolled in the MA program and two of the students have recently completed the MA degree and are now in their final year of medical school.
This presentation will be structured around four perspectives that voice the role Christianity has had upon the formation of modern medicine. The first speaker will explore the teachings of Jesus and the impact he had upon societal perceptions of caring for the sick and dying. The next panelist will explore the life and writing of Basil of Caesarea, an early church father who is often attributed with establishing the first organized system of healthcare in the Christian tradition. Next, jumping forward in time, philosopher Charles Taylor’s understanding of secularism and modern society will be considered regarding how they speak to current issues that exist within today’s healthcare systems. Finally, the presentation will conclude with an exploration of the recent analysis of medicine provided by Michael and Tracy Balboni in "Hostility to Hospitality" discussing the implications for the future of healthcare.
At Loma Linda University, a dual degree program has been developed that provides medical students with this opportunity. Interested medical students take an additional year between their basic science and clinical studies to engage in theological studies, earning an MA in Religion and Society. Their developing medical knowledge and experience is placed in dialogue with various perspectives from the Christian tradition. This MD/MA dual degree is offered through a partnership between the Loma Linda University Schools of Medicine and Religion. The Religion and Society program can be pursued anytime during the four years of medical school, but is most commonly done following the second or third year of medical school. After earning the MA, usually in one academic year, the students proceed with their medical studies.
The intent of the session is to share four medical student perspectives of how graduate theological education has impacted their education and how it has rooted their practice of medicine in their Christian faith. Reflections will be offered by each panelist on how they have learned to better integrate their practice and faith, and how their theological studies have informed their future goals as physicians. Two of the students who will be presenting are currently enrolled in the MA program and two of the students have recently completed the MA degree and are now in their final year of medical school.
This presentation will be structured around four perspectives that voice the role Christianity has had upon the formation of modern medicine. The first speaker will explore the teachings of Jesus and the impact he had upon societal perceptions of caring for the sick and dying. The next panelist will explore the life and writing of Basil of Caesarea, an early church father who is often attributed with establishing the first organized system of healthcare in the Christian tradition. Next, jumping forward in time, philosopher Charles Taylor’s understanding of secularism and modern society will be considered regarding how they speak to current issues that exist within today’s healthcare systems. Finally, the presentation will conclude with an exploration of the recent analysis of medicine provided by Michael and Tracy Balboni in "Hostility to Hospitality" discussing the implications for the future of healthcare.