Christian Medical Schools

[Flabbergasted]

Does anyone know what the chances of a non-Christian has of getting into a Christian med school? Namely, Loma Linda? And when they ask you if you are religious (and I am, but I'm not Christian), exactly what are they hoping to hear? Anybody have any advice or experiences to share?

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[Tezzie]

OK. There is a difference between Christian medical schools (G-town, Slu, Loyola...) and just plain weird schools (Loma Linda). As far as the Jesuit schools go i am pretty sure that they don't reject on basis of religion. Loma linda though is a different story ...

 

[Tezzie]

I think that Loma Linda is the worst California med school. On top of that i think that it is a weird school and the people who attend there are weird too. Having said that i would never have a doctor who graduated from there.

 

[steve007]

7th day adventists are pretty extremist, aren't they?

 

[SoulRFlare]

What's so strange about Loma Linda? (no joke...I know nothing about it except the name)

 

[TexPre-Med]

I am pretty sure it would be against the law for a school to take a less qualified student because of religous affiliations. Remember when you applied to undergrad school and the box labeled Religous Affiliation had the words "Optional" next to it. Don't worry about your religion holding you back. They will treat you fairly.

 

[Bones2008]

If it's a private school (I have no idea if it is), then they can reject you on whatever basis they please. They just get you government funding, that's all.

 

[Bones2008]

*no* government funding

 

[futuredrswife]

i don't think it matters. gtown (according to tezzie) is a Christian university, but i know of someone who was rejected pre-interview after doing a pastoral internship and with a lor from a ph.d. pastor. (his stats were good too.) i think it may be more of a general medical philosophy issue than religion per se with a lot of schools.

of course, loma linda is a different story. i don't think they would necessarily consider themselves a Christian university - they would probably just say seventh day adventist. at least that's how i would do the classification.

 

[exmike]

isnt wake forest a religious-affiliated school?

 

[greenie8]

I would say that schools like Georgetown and Loyola would rather be referred to as "Jesuit" than "Christian." You're probably saying no kidding, Catholics are Christian too, but there is a little difference between a Jesuit phiolosophy than general Christianity.

That being said, I wrote specifically about my Catholic faith in my Gtown app and got flat out rejected. Thanks alot St. Ignatius.

 

[doc05]

I didn't even apply to Loma Linda, but I've heard some very weird things about the place. Frankly, I cannot see how one could willingly submit to adhering to their unusual rules just for the sake of attending their medical school (which isn't all that great, by the way).

 

[UCLAstudent]

Loma Linda does consider itself a Christian school. Check out their mission statement at their website if you have any doubts. Just because the school's beliefs are a little "out there" doesn't mean that you'd get a bad education. If anyone has any specific questions, I worked at Loma Linda all summer and maybe I can help out. Heck, I was born there!

 

[chameleonknight]

I don't think that the Seventh-Day Adventists would go cultish on you or anything, but they will definitely give more preference to SDA and christian apps.

As far as their quality, all I know is that when my school's med prog. shut down, a large number of students went there. The Loma Linda students complained that the ORU students were too far ahead of them.

Shoot for a UC instead.

 

[jlee9531]

Loma Linda.......

7th day ads arent extreme.....just do things a little different from other Christian denominations.

their rules are strict.....such as no drinking etc...
but not meant to do any harm.

i know someone who goes there and he lives off campus and says the rules arent a problem because as long as they are outside of the school noone is there to enforce them.

and for cali residents....its still a cali med school.

i am not 7th day.

i agree with the fact that they favor students who will most likely practice medicine with a Christian outlook.
if people say they are open to learning about them and stuff...they appreciate that but sometimes wary because its something anyone can say but not really mean. it happens.
ive heard stories about people lying on the loma linda app and on their interviews..........but thats for another time.

tho i prolly agree with the person who said LLUSOM is prolly the weakest of all the cali med schools tho.

 

[logos]

I would say that schools like Georgetown and Loyola would rather be referred to as "Jesuit" than "Christian." You're probably saying no kidding, Catholics are Christian too, but there is a little difference between a Jesuit phiolosophy than general Christianity.

I think this is right on. Jesuits are the most interesting people you will ever see...

And I think they would probably prefer to be refered to as jesuit or Catholic than christian also.....just to specifically set themselves apart from groups that go by christian that are embarissing....ie no evolution etc..

 

[Cerberus]

there was a thread on loma linda a few months ago. Basically i would go to a island school before I would go there.

 

[Tezzie]

I would never apply to Loma Linda. I dislike the school so much that even if i applied and it was the only med school in the world i could get in , i would decline.

Oh and btw a school should NOT have the power to ask you questions such as : "have you consumed alcochol in the last year" or "have you had sex". Declining students on the basis of sexual activities is just plain stupid.

 

[TheFlash]

Originally posted by Tezzie
I would never apply to Loma Linda. I dislike the school so much that even if i applied and it was the only med school in the world i could get in , i would decline.

Oh and btw a school should NOT have the power to ask you questions such as : "have you consumed alcochol in the last year" or "have you had sex". Declining students on the basis of sexual activities is just plain stupid.

I'm agnostic, but damn, that's a bit harsh. Different strokes for different folks. Not that I agree with Loma Linda's policies, but it's my understanding that a private school has every right to do what it wants. No need to bash its faculty and students so vehemently.

Flash

 

[Cerberus]

Originally posted by TheFlash
I'm agnostic, but damn, that's a bit harsh. Different strokes for different folks. Not that I agree with Loma Linda's policies, but it's my understanding that a private school has every right to do what it wants. No need to bash its faculty and students so vehemently.

Flash

I dont see anything wrong with bashing their closed minded faculty and students. It is well within my rights to call bull**** when i smell it, and when a school has such ass backwards policies and recieves government funding i smell ****.

 

[bpit]

Originally posted by exmike
isnt wake forest a religious-affiliated school?

yes it is affiliated with the baptist church

 

[beatla19]

It's a private school, they can do as they please. My bro teaches at a private university and he says that it's FAR easier for men to be accepted than women. This is because the university is about 65% female. Therefore, gender discrimination. Private schools can choose whomever they like, for whatever reason. (By the way, this is undergrad.)

 

[lola]

as far as i know, loma linda is the only u.s. that weighs religion heavily when evaluating your application. the jesuit schools may look at you a little more favorably b/c it makes you stand out if you are catholic, but i doubt they would admit a less qualified catholic over a more qualified non-catholic applicant.

i was accepted to georgetown last year after flat out telling them in the interview that i am not religious and that i'm in favor of embryonic stem cell research. they don't really care what you believe in as long as you are open to learning about other religions and are respectful. slu and loyola are also jesuit schools.

i would never ever apply to loma linda knowing that i was not going to abide by their rules. that's so wrong, and one reason i hate when people think that a religious person = a person with high morals. what does religion have to do with morality??? but that's whole different can of worms...

 

[beatla19]

Religion is all about morality. Look at the Bible and Koran, they teach all about how to live a moral lifestyle. The Catholic catechism is all about how to live a "christian lifestyle." Religion is about how one lives his life, not how many prayers he sends to God.

 

[lola]

Originally posted by beatla19
Religion is all about morality. Look at the Bible and Koran, they teach all about how to live a moral lifestyle. The Catholic catechism is all about how to live a "christian lifestyle." Religion is about how one lives his life, not how many prayers he sends to God.

it may be about morality, but tons of religious people i know aren't the greatest people/don't have the highest morals. also, i know tons of atheists who are very good/honest people.

i was watching the news last night & this lady was saying how some guy was such a good person "because he always talked about god". i don't get how that makes someone a good person!

 

[beatla19]

I totally agree Lola. I was merely responding to your question of what religion has to do w/ morality. I know many atheists who are wonderful individuals w/ good moral standards(My dad and brother included). I've also met some Christians and people of other faiths who seem to be lacking in that department. However, that doesn't mean religion doesn't teach a moral lifestyle, it means some people of religion choose not to follow it.

 

[Cafepinay]

Originally posted by Slickness
I'm Catholic and I still want to go to Loma Linda. Both are Christians anyway. It's just like how DOs and MDs are both doctors. One is not better than the other. The DOs are just the protestants while MDs are the Catholics. Some differences in the philosophy but with the same goal.

Not trying to go off topic, but I had heard that SDAs particularly don't like Catholics. That was one reason why I chose not to apply to Loma Linda (and also I thought that I wasn't competitive enough anyway). However, I would not use the same reasoning as to why I had chosen to apply to Creighton or SLU. I work for a Catholic doctor and he had told me that there are some Catholic med schools who were in philosophy but not in practice. Hence, it would make sense that if I mentioned my religion there it wouldn't make a difference anyway.

For some reason though, I was under the impression that Loma Linda stuck by its religious affiliation tighter, and possibly even in the admissions process.

 

[Tezzie]

The private universities build their admissions process on a logical basis. I don't understand how (and why) having sex in the past year or not being a virgin will make me a bad physician or unable to finish my MD.

 

[calebho501]

Oh for God's sake, Seventh day adventists are not CULTIST!

I grew up as a Seventh Day Adventist and the main differences of it from other churches are that the members goto church on Saturdady (Which is SEVENTH day of the week; Sunday is the FIRST day of the week, so technically, Saturday is the Sabbath day), follow the food restrictions like Jewish (No pork, Shrimp, crab, there are stated in the Bible). Finally, SDAs believe in a prophet call Ellen White.

Anyway, SDA is a conservative church, that's why it discourages its members from smoking, drinking, premarital sex, etc. I don't always agree with the church's policies, but I think it has its rights to accept/reject people based on that, because it's a private school.

BTW, Loma Linda has accepted Jewish and non-SDA Christians before...two of my friends are example. I also heard they have accepted Buddhists too.

 

[davidw11]

You call no drinking strict rules? Wow....you need to step over to the Mennonite side We have rules again divorce and remarriage, no smoking, no pre-maritial sex, no drinking, no swearing, etc. Aren't those every denominations "rules"? It's all coming from the same book, how couldn't you not believe those things. But it's not "rules". It's just a lifestyle, I've never heard it referred to as rules.

Also, a recommendation from me. PLEASE don't go to a truely christian school if you're not christian. It would be like a christian going to a muslem school just because they offer a particular thing, or will accept them. If you don't believe their views, why attend? But that only applies to "truely" christian schools. If they're technically a christian school, but you would never know it otherwise, then you're probably safe. But if it's purely christian and all throughout the weeks there are chapels and stuff, then you shouldn't go.

I plan on going to a very Christian(mennonite) college after I graduate HS(currently going to a private mennonite HS), and I would be greatly offended to find out there are non-christians going there. If I meet a friend or girl, I shouldn't need to ask if they're christian.

Of course, I'm not going to mention my views of Seventh Day Adventists, since it would just offend people. But it's safe to say I'm definately not one of them. Yeah, I go to church on Sunday and eat pork...I'd love for someone to prove how that's wrong.

 

[init4damoney]

How can someone consider themselves a christian, then bad mouth another religion? Go figure.

As far as Loma Linda goes, there isn't a better place in the San Bernardino county. Any serious case is sent there. Would you refuse treatment to your child if the doctor was a SDA or graduated from Loma Linda??? If so, you better put your pride in check. Guess what?? They teach how to perform a surgical procedure at Loma Linda the same way they teach at UCLA.

And no, I'm not a Seventh Day Adventist.

 

[davidw11]

Are you referring to me bad mouthing it? I wasn't. But isn't that what religion is? If you believe in Christ, anything else would be evil, thus wrong. In fact, the entire point is to bad mouth evil. If you practice what we consider evil, thus we're going to "put you down" in the sense. It's not attacking the person, just the views. That came off wrong, so don't yell at me if you get mad right away. Think about what I'm saying.

 

[init4damoney]

I wasn't specifically referring to you, so don't flatter yourself.

How are you going to "put me down" but only attack my views and not me?? If someone strongly believes in their religion, it is a part of them, and it makes them who they are. So it would become a personal attack.

 

[beatla19]

Many homilies at my Catholic Church have been about finding the good in other religions-e.g. Judaism, Islam, Buddhism. Most religions teach very good values and have very its followers are in line w/ the moral teachings of Christ. Catholocism is teh largest sect of Christianity, and it doesn't seem to ahve a problem w/ other mainsteam religions.
p.s.-The Church teaches that one does not have to be Catholic to go to heaven.

 

[davidw11]

How are you going to "put me down" but only attack my views and not me?? If someone strongly believes in their religion, it is a part of them, and it makes them who they are. So it would become a personal attack.

I agree that you don't need to be a part of a certain denomination to get into heaven. At the same time, if anything clashes with my current views, then I'd have to argue on that. Catholic may be the largest sect, but I'd never join it. I don't understand that pergatory stuff?! Someone can die, and you just sit in a "waiting room" until your family has given enough money to the church and/or prayed enough to get you out. I think once you die, you're in one place or the other. There is nothing that can be done.

Also, I have problems with alot of the stuff priests do. I know I've heard where you could give a certain amount of money to the church and get "blessed", thus erasing all your bad deeds. Maybe I'm just not understanding it at all.

This is no attack, I'm merely curious for someone to explain it. I'll admit I'm no expert in it, I'm just repeating what I heard on TV from pastors. Please prove me wrong!!

 

[init4damoney]

Sorry, can't help ya there. I'm not catholic either.

 

[init4damoney]

I lived in Spain for 2 years, the capital of catholocism, and still don't know everything about the doctrine of the catholic church. What with studying for midterms, and trying to stay up on anatomy, there's no time for reading up on other religions!!!

 

[davidw11]

I lived in Spain for 2 years

You speak spanish? I'd die to know Spanish I'm in Spanish 1 right now and love it. Learning another language is fun, especially since Spanish is used everywhere.

Keeping up with anatomy? You could have just said you were with your partner...

 

[init4damoney]

Yeah, I speak spanish. Hopefully that will be a plus with the Cali med schools, since over half the population here speaks spanish.

As far as anatomy goes, sometimes I get a little extra help from my wife.

 

[davidw11]

As far as anatomy goes, sometimes I get a little extra help from my wife.

Brings tears to my eyes...it's teamwork at it's very best

 

[spumoni620]

Originally posted by davidw11
I plan on going to a very Christian(mennonite) college after I graduate HS(currently going to a private mennonite HS), and I would be greatly offended to find out there are non-christians going there. If I meet a friend or girl, I shouldn't need to ask if they're christian.

so what if one day you have a patient...are you going to ask them whether or not they're christian?

 

[davidw11]

so what if one day you have a patient...are you going to ask them whether or not they're christian?

Of course...who would treat a non-christian???

PS: Just kidding...don't freak out

 

[juddson]

Originally posted by Bones2008
If it's a private school (I have no idea if it is), then they can reject you on whatever basis they please. They just get you government funding, that's all.

As far as I know, civil rights legislation passed over the last century prevents any instutution (public or private) to discriminate on the basis of religious affiliation in hiring, housing and education. Loma Linda can no more reject an applicant because he is not 7th Day Adventist than IBM can refuse to hire an applicant because he is black. Both are private organizations, and both engage in activities (ie., hiring and education) protected by statute.

Now, of course, there are special rules which permit religious organizations to exclude religious membership to members of thier own religion. Hence, Catholic churches have no obligation to admit Jews to thier congregation under the right to associate. However, the parochial school attached to the Catholic church has NO such right to exclude Jews.

If you are interested in Loma Linda or any other private institution, you need not worry that your status as a non-7th day adventist will "legally" keep you out.

Judd

 

[greggth]

(Repost, slightly edited)
Here it is, right from the Loma Linda website, their "sexual standards policy" .

"All forms of sexual expression and conduct between heterosexuals outside of marriage, or between homosexuals, are contrary to the ideals of the University and will result in disciplinary action."

http://www.llu.edu/llu/handbook/6q.htm

And here is something else....

"And regarding homosexuals, the President of Loma Linda University, Lyn Behrens, was recently quoted in a Riverside, California newspaper saying that 'if someone makes (another) lifestyle choice, we would invite them to pursue their careers elsewhere.'"
http://www.sdakinship.org/anotherpov/06.htm

and another...

"Discrimination in Loma Linda ? In a recent interview in the Riverside Press Enterprise, B. Lyn Behrens, MBBS, President of Loma Linda University and Medical Center, said she makes "no apologies" for the fact that the institution does not accept lesbians or gay men. Although this institution is affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church, discrimination is a violation of California law. Martha Matthews is interested in hearing from anyone who has been discriminated against by Loma Linda University and Medical Center."

http://www.aclu-sc.org/activism/cha...ccurrent.htm#ll

keywords homosexual homosexuality gender lesbian gays

 

[davidw11]

All forms of sexual expression and conduct between heterosexuals outside of marriage, or between homosexuals, are contrary to the ideals of the University and will result in disciplinary action."

I don't see your point. Every christian(mennonite) school I have looked into has these same rules. Those are what the school believes, and you must live with it. For example, the school I looked at disallows pre-maritial sex, beer, smoking, drugs, "alt" lifestyles, etc. And that is extremely true for on-campus, but also applies off campus. If you are found to be having sex or partying off campus, you will be asked to leave(and/or expelled).

I don't see a problem with that since it is a christian school. Why the heck would you go to a christian school if you don't have christian views? Makes no sense. There's a big difference between christian schools and christian-affliliated schools too. I have a local one that is affiliated, but don't have any of those rules and alcohol is allowed on campus in dorms. And of course there are regular state or private colleges/universities that have no affiliation with any church.

That's why there are christian schools. It's so christians can go there without having to deal with the "typical" college stuff like partying, sex, alcohol, etc. Even if it still get's done off campus, a huge amount don't do it. You're in the minority if you do. Unlike a regular college where you're in the minority if you don't do those things.

 

[musiclink213]

Originally posted by davidw11
I don't see a problem with that since it is a christian school. Why the heck would you go to a christian school if you don't have christian views? Makes no sense. There's a big difference between christian schools and christian-affliliated schools too. I have a local one that is affiliated, but don't have any of those rules and alcohol is allowed on campus in dorms. And of course there are regular state or private colleges/universities that have no affiliation with any church.

That's why there are christian schools. It's so christians can go there without having to deal with the "typical" college stuff like partying, sex, alcohol, etc. Even if it still get's done off campus, a huge amount don't do it. You're in the minority if you do. Unlike a regular college where you're in the minority if you don't do those things.

I must admit, i kinda skipped over this thread when it first started cause i'm jewish, and i figured, what do i know about christian schools? but i checked it out cause it has been getting so many posts, and i sensed either a heated debate, or a whole lotta funny stuff going on.

a person would go to a christian school if they have a family, and it's the onyl school in the area, gave the most financial aid, accepted them. If i apply to Loma Linda and thats the only school that accepts me, fine, than that's where i'm going cause i want to be a doctor.

as far as being a minority if you're drinking, i don't believe that to be entirely true. my (jewish) friend is in a catholic school right now that also disallows those things, but they're just better at sneaking around the rules.

 

[HollyJ]

Originally posted by davidw11
You call no drinking strict rules? Wow....you need to step over to the Mennonite side I plan on going to a very Christian(mennonite) college after I graduate HS(currently going to a private mennonite HS), and I would be greatly offended to find out there are non-christians going there. If I meet a friend or girl, I shouldn't need to ask if they're christian.

Of course, I'm not going to mention my views of Seventh Day Adventists, since it would just offend people. But it's safe to say I'm definately not one of them. Yeah, I go to church on Sunday and eat pork...I'd love for someone to prove how that's wrong.

I'd love for you to prove how drinking is wrong.

I love religious, judgmental high schoolers. Hows about you actually get to college before telling all of us how it is?

Also, I have problems with alot of the stuff priests do. I know I've heard where you could give a certain amount of money to the church and get "blessed", thus erasing all your bad deeds. Maybe I'm just not understanding it at all.

Yeah, you're not understanding it at all. I'm not Catholic, but I do have a degree in religious studies. Maybe you should actually find out about these things before you denigrate other religions based on what you've "heard."

For the record, what you're referring to is known as buying indulgences. It was a problem that the Catholic Church (although a few protestant denominations had issues with it as well) dealt with primarily in the late middle ages. If you're going to criticize, I would advise you to choose things that have actually happened on a large scale in the last, say, 500 years. Heaven knows there are plenty of things to criticize. But it's often a good idea to have some idea of what you're talking about before you go shooting your mouth off.

 

[link26]

are all christians goody 2 shoes?

do christian women get down and dirty in bed? are bj's sinful?

pardon my ignorance. I've got this stereotype stuck in my head...

 

[calebho501]

I think each private school has the right to set standards for its students, even it receives public research funding. If you don't like Loma Linda, or other religious schools' policies, then just don't apply there

 

[DrBodacious]

I am suprised that there are so many religiously affiliated medical schools and doctors. I think religion is great, however I would expect that more physicians, being scientifically trained and basically "playing god" alot of the time, would not be religious. That being said religion is an important aspect of many patients' lives so it should be understood and respected. The caring values of religion should be expressed more than the exclusive ones and I think they are from what I've seen of schools like Loyola. Basically it would be hard to take a medical school seriously if they require their students to practice thier specific values such as abstainance from sex and alchohol at the same time that they support organ transplants or terminal life support.

What do you religious folks think about that? I would like to know your resonse, just playing devils advocate here.