The religious premed (experience)?

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Siverhideo1985

Siverhideo1985

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I just got done watching "Religulous" with Bill Maher, and I must admit, I haven't laughed that much in a while. Even though his reasoning is questionable at times, his methods are hardly convincing (to true believers), and the whole movie does have the air of propaganda, there are some nuggets of truth that made me think about religion.

The nerd I am, I checked SDN for any new threads, and began to wonder how religion plays a role in the premed/application period. For me, religion played no role in this period, but I know of people who pray for acceptances.

So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process? Any anecdotes would be welcome, too. I.e. do you pray for interviews, do you thank (a) god for acceptances you receive, do you turn to jesus for help when things aren't going well in Biochemistry? I just want to get a feel for how other people involve their religious beliefs in this part of their life. Do you plan to keep religion separate from your profession? Does an aspiring doctor have to be, at least somewhat, tolerant of other religious beliefs?

Any thoughts, experiences, insights, anecdotes would be much appreciated.
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I believe in a higher power that I'd like to call God and I pray. I don't consider myself to be Christian; there are too many inconsistencies.

Most of the times I pray for grades or when I'm stuck in a rut where there's nothing left to do but pray haha.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process?
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I am not a religious person. But after attending a few interviews and getting a "feel" for the schools I've visited, there is something about the interview process that does seem like you are "meant" to end up at X school rather than Y school. One of my interviewers even said to me, "don't worry about getting in here, you'll end up where you're meant to be".

Too bad for me, none of these feelings of supernatural phenomena have ended up in an acceptance.



So, to answer your question... did religion play a role? No. But, there is something a little mysterious about the whole "you will end up where you are meant to" thing.
 
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Didn't play a part for me either.

I don't see any reason to believe in a god, but sometimes I wish I could.
 
I can see this thread going downhill fast...:lame:

I am religious. I pray about just about everything so this whole process wasn't really any different from the rest of my life's endeavors. I also hate the disconnect between a belief in the Bible and the American church today. It makes me sick sometimes. Jesus was a pretty great guy, and he is not exemplified well by the church...anyways..

My faith will be a big part of my life as a professional down the road, but it certainly will not make my patients uncomfortable in any way. Its not always easy to separate clinical care from an outward faith for me, but I learned to do it in India where just about everyone is Hindu or Muslim and don't really understand or appreciate you involving your beliefs in their life. Ill just pray for them on my own time unless they ask me to pray with them or something.

I think its important to be respectful of everyone's background that you work with and work for, especially when you are taking care of people's lives. Being tolerant is a must in my opinion.
 
DoktorB said:
I can see this thread going downhill fast...:lame:

I am religious. I pray about just about everything so this whole process wasn't really any different from the rest of my life's endeavors. I also hate the disconnect between a belief in the Bible and the American church today. It makes me sick sometimes. Jesus was a pretty great guy, and he is not exemplified well by the church...anyways..

My faith will be a big part of my life as a professional down the road, but it certainly will not make my patients uncomfortable in any way. Its not always easy to separate clinical care from an outward faith for me, but I learned to do it in India where just about everyone is Hindu or Muslim and don't really understand or appreciate you involving your beliefs in their life. Ill just pray for them on my own time unless they ask me to pray with them or something.

I think its important to be respectful of everyone's background that you work with and work for, especially when you are taking care of people's lives. Being tolerant is a must in my opinion.
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:thumbup: :thumbup:

Thank you for sharing. I think if everyone is as respectful as you are, we can all share our thoughts on here without the thread deteriorating.

But you are right, a thread like this, about any sort of topic related to religion, has the potential for alot of tension, even if it calls for experiences/thoughts/anecdotes rather than confrontational arguments. But I think so far it is going rather well.
 
I haven't hit application season yet, but I do believe in God and pray, but more so I see God as giving opportunities to do things, not to just hand it to you.

Example: I pray to get into a school. God gives me the opportunity to do the best I can at my interview but doesn't hand the acceptance to me. I work hard for it and accept that if I don't get in, that must mean there is something else planned for me.

As far as what was mentioned above, we're taught to accept everyone, no matter what. I have great friends that range from christainity to atheism. I don't push my believes on anyone because I know I wouldn't want people pushing it on me (I have a friend that tries to force it even more on me and everyone around her and it can be irritating). The relationship is between you and your God, not you, ten other people, and you God. If you follow religion, there is no need to flaunt it towards everyone, so to speak.
 
Artimacia said:
I haven't hit application season yet, but I do believe in God and pray, but more so I see God as giving opportunities to do things, not to just hand it to you.

Example: I pray to get into a school. God gives me the opportunity to do the best I can at my interview but doesn't hand the acceptance to me. I work hard for it and accept that if I don't get in, that must mean there is something else planned for me.
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This is how I feel as well.

You CANNOT start praying for things only when you need them, you have to keep your faith through good and bad times. You cant just all of a sudden start praying to get into a school, and you cant just sit back and do nothing and expect to get in.
 
SiR99 said:
This is how I feel as well.

You CANNOT start praying for things only when you need them, you have to keep your faith through good and bad times. You cant just all of a sudden start praying to get into a school, and you cant just sit back and do nothing and expect to get in.
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Exactly. You are blessed with the opportunity to do something great, whether you take advantage of the opportunity is up to you and if you don't, you only have yourself to blame.
 
In my first interview (Vanderbilt) we discussed religion for a pretty long time. I know this is kind of a touchy subject with a lot of people, but I think it went well. He brought up topics like evolution (which we both accepted) and numerous other topics related to religion. Before going into interview season, faith was probably one of the things I was most timid to discuss. In the end I felt a lot more comfortable discussing the issue if it came up in interviews, but I never brought it up myself. I never really prayed for an acceptance, but I have always prayed for God to lead me where I could be the best person and for help along the way.
 
I have yet to start college, but for me the complexity of biology is a testament to the influence of a higher power. It just stuns me how all these operations can take place.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
I just got done watching "Religulous" with Bill Maher, and I must admit, I haven't laughed that much in a while. Even though his reasoning is questionable at times, his methods are hardly convincing (to true believers), and the whole movie does have the air of propaganda, there are some nuggets of truth that made me think about religion.

The nerd I am, I checked SDN for any new threads, and began to wonder how religion plays a role in the premed/application period. For me, religion played no role in this period, but I know of people who pray for acceptances.

So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process? Any anecdotes would be welcome, too. I.e. do you pray for interviews, do you thank (a) god for acceptances you receive, do you turn to jesus for help when things aren't going well in Biochemistry? I just want to get a feel for how other people involve their religious beliefs in this part of their life. Do you plan to keep religion separate from your profession? Does an aspiring doctor have to be, at least somewhat, tolerant of other religious beliefs?

Any thoughts, experiences, insights, anecdotes would be much appreciated.
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First off, I think that religulous was the funniest movie and one of the most important movies I have seen recently. Bill Maher is awesome

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I have to share my thoughts on religion. I dont care if people are religious...just as long as it does not affect me in ANY way (which religion currently does the way it is practiced and has infected our laws with the nonsense for example Blue State Laws which restrict the types of stores that can be opened on Sunday)
  • If people pray for an acceptance they are wasting their time.
  • Why would "God" care if you got accepted to medical school?
  • If "God" exists (which she does not...at least in the way people worship her), I think her time would be better spent solving real issues like ending violence ...Obviously violence still occurs so she is not very effective for beng "All-powerful"
Anyway I don't want to get started on religion. I think it is evil and makes otherwise smart people act really childish and think in illogical ways which has the potential of hurting others not practicing that religion (basically the point of Religiulous). That is all I am going to say on that for fear that some religious zealot will flag my post and I will be banned from SDN...again (I think I only have one strike left).
 
everyone is entitled to their opinion..... no matter if they are religious or not, or somewhere in the middle. I am glad that so far we have been able to keep it civil enough.

Religion never came up in any of my interviews. It would be a very difficult topic to tackle in a discussion, let alone a 30-45min interview with a stranger.

Do you think it should be a topic discussed in interviews? I feel that it is such a complex issue that it would be hard to get my feelings on the subject across in that amount of time.

But then again, I feel the same about the "how to fix healthcare" question I got.

In any case, thank you guys for sharing. I always enjoy talks with people of different faiths than mine.

We grow up feeling so sure that what we have to say is the most important, that our ideas are the most true, that our beliefs are the truest. I am glad to see people sharing their thoughts and letting me get a glimpse of their perspective.

Keep it coming.
 
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P.S.: Sekondbest, I think it is interesting that you called god a "her"...
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
P.S.: Sekondbest, I think it is interesting that you called god a "her"...
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Well I don't believe in god...but if I did decide to waste several hours of my life each week thinking about a god, I would at least want to be picturing someone like this.
mila-kunis-gas-station.jpg
 
sankondbest said:
Well I don't believe in god...but if I did decide to waste several hours of my life each week thinking about a god, I would at least want to be picturing someone like this.
mila-kunis-gas-station.jpg
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Jim Morrison :thumbup:
 
sankondbest said:
First off, I think that religulous was the funniest movie and one of the most important movies I have seen recently. Bill Maher is awesome


I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I have to share my thoughts on religion. I dont care if people are religious...just as long as it does not affect me in ANY way (which religion currently does the way it is practiced and has infected our laws with the nonsense for example Blue State Laws which restrict the types of stores that can be opened on Sunday)
  • If people pray for an acceptance they are wasting their time.
  • Why would "God" care if you got accepted to medical school?
  • If "God" exists (which she does not...at least in the way people worship her), I think her time would be better spent solving real issues like ending violence ...Obviously violence still occurs so she is not very effective for beng "All-powerful"
Anyway I don't want to get started on religion. I think it is evil and makes otherwise smart people act really childish and think in illogical ways which has the potential of hurting others not practicing that religion (basically the point of Religiulous). That is all I am going to say on that for fear that some religious zealot will flag my post and I will be banned from SDN...again (I think I only have one strike left).
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I promise not all religious people are silly and childish about it... :) I, for one, do not pray for specific "things" like med school acceptances -- seems too much to me like whining to a parent for presents or something. But, I do pray for strength and comfort during difficult times, and med school applications are an example of that.
 
My faith sustains me. It's the reason I chose to go pursue medical school.

Yes, I have read Richard Dawkin's books, and yes, I have thoroughly explored both micro and macro evolution. I've even spoken to my school's premier evolutionary biologist about this issue, and even he/she acknowledges the holes in the theory. Not saying it's true or untrue.

How can anyone really discredit micro evolution? But Darwinian evolution leaves a lot to be desired.

That being said, I respect everyone's views here. But I'd like to mention that there is an OBJECTIVE and SUBJECTIVE nature to faith, and objective and subjective truths that we might come to. From my own testimony, I have witnessed miracles that I attribute to a higher power.

I'm a proud Christian. A previous poster mentioned some inconsistencies, but I have yet to see them; I would recommend he/she explore the matter further with someone who is more knowledgeable with Scripture (there are a lot of sociocultural/sociohistorical elements that people--including me-- tend to overlook).

Am I a perfect Christian? Far from man. Far from. And I'm still working on my temper problem. But I've broken my drug and alcohol addiction, and have a loving relationship with my family--something I could never dream of four years ago. It ain't easy, and I'm not perfect, but I'm trying.

Anyway, I hope to become a part time missionary doctor and work with my brother, who wants to become a pastor. I've got a lot of growing to do in my faith, but it's shown me what true love is, and that's something I would like to express through my practice down the line.

Yes, yes...not all Christians are ignorant ignoramuses Maher portrays us to be...
 
To quote the wise words of Epicurus, as it relates to med school:

Is God willing to get me accepted into my top choice, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able, and willing?
Then whence cometh the silent rejection?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
 
I recall the purpose of this thread was to have people who are religous share their experiences. I am not going to try to prove my beliefs logically, people have been attempting that for a thousand years and have not succeeded. But for those who are interested in the role faith plays in medical school, here is my contribution.

When I first started thinking about medicine as a career, I prayed to the Lord to ask His council. I admitted to Him that this was what I felt was right, and I asked that if It was His will that I pursue this path, that he would guide me and make me equal to the task.

The Lord confirmed that If I would place my faith in Him, and that If I did all in my power, that I would succeed at at my goal. Four years later, the Lord kept his promise.

I don't mean to suggest that those who get accepted are loved by God and that those who don't, God is angry with. What I am saying is that God does exist and that He is mindful of us, and that he will guide us for good.
 
Religulous was an awesome movie! Also, Real Time With Bill Maher is moving to 10:00 on Friday nights instead of 11:00--I'm super psyched.
 
I'm Christian, and my belief in the afterlife shaped my decision to go into medicine. Lives are eternally important things, so I find this job is the highest calling of an occupation.

I don't, however, believe God intervines all too often. I pray I make the right decisions with my life, but I don't expect Him to get me in to med school. I don't get pissed at Him when I don't get an "A" in biochem, either.
 
Maher is a tw@t.
 
Well I am christian and i understand a lot of things religious poeple do don't make sense to those who are not. So i'll answer your question with my personal opinion that may not represent the christian world as a whole as different churches has different beliefs.

sankondbest said:
  • If people pray for an acceptance they are wasting their time.
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i think it's gernerally agreed among christians that prayer is not really a way to ask God for stuff. For a matter like medical school acceptance, I ask God to grant me the strength so gain acceptance if that's good for me and his plan. Otherwise don't give me acceptance and i'd know it's not meant to be.

  • Why would "God" care if you got accepted to medical school?
Click to expand...
Christians believe that God has a plan for everybody. So if he wants you to become a doctor, he'd care. Otherwise, he probably doesnt.
  • If "God" exists (which she does not...at least in the way people worship her), I think her time would be better spent solving real issues like ending violence ...Obviously violence still occurs so she is not very effective for beng "All-powerful"
Click to expand...
Well God is definitely trying to make this world better. as to being "all-powerful". and why there are still so many violences around the world, there is a answer to that (which i think is also generally agreed among churches) but cannot easily explained to someone without significant exposure to christianity.There are many good books about this question you asked and i think they're better sources of your questions than just any christian you know. needless to say that many christains' actions are sometimes the exact opposite of christian beliefs (i do that a lot, but hey, i'm trying)
 
I have gone to Catholic schools my whole life and i definitely always have that voice inside my head telling me what's right and wrong..i also believe everything happens for a reason and that certain things are meant to be.

i have been praying in my head for acceptances and mostly to be accepted to USC so that i can stay near family since i have a 1 1/2 y. o. son. when i went for the interview in wisconsin i felt like everything was a little off (i was the one to get checked at the airport in front of about 8 other interviewees b/c a little lotion bottle was not in the plastic bag, my bag was too big to go on the plane and had to be checked afterall, i didn't feel very good the day of the interview, etc. also wisconsin was one of a few schools that i added later to my primary application...after this acceptance i felt like this school was meant to be...but i ask myself why did i get accepted to creighton then? i've been to catholic schools my whole life...i love this school...and i was waitlisted at this school two years ago...so is creighton meant for me? i also can't help but wonder why would i end up at USC (which i continue to pray for) if everything points toward these other schools like a calling? i guess because i have a faith based point of view...i've been wondering why all this is happening. i wonder if i already know i won't end up at USC. but if i do end up at USC, then i guess i was reading too much into what i think are signs.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process? Any anecdotes would be welcome, too. I.e. do you pray for interviews, do you thank (a) god for acceptances you receive, do you turn to jesus for help when things aren't going well in Biochemistry? I just want to get a feel for how other people involve their religious beliefs in this part of their life. Do you plan to keep religion separate from your profession? Does an aspiring doctor have to be, at least somewhat, tolerant of other religious beliefs?

Any thoughts, experiences, insights, anecdotes would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

I prayed to God while I was studying/taking the MCAT, and got higher than any practice test that I took, despite only actually studying for 3 weeks during which I also read 18 novels:rolleyes: Plus there are random prayers that I have memorized which are supposed to help you study and during tests and so on...

I thank God after getting every interview invite and give 1 dollar for charity after every invite. After I got my acceptances, I thanked God profusely and gave 5 bucks to charity for each acceptance... Hey I am a college student, I am not made of money, but as of right now, I have given 49 bucks...:D

I do turn to God everytime I freak out and classes are not going well, and usually everything turns out well, as in my 4.0 last quarter even though I did not study at all...

This is a big part of my life, but I do not understand how to keep it separate from my life as a doctor....I mean if a patient is sick, it is more than likely I will pray for their recovery. I am very tolerant of other religious beliefs and my stance is as long as you do not try to convert me, I do not care what you have to do as part of your religious beliefs, since some of my religious practices are seen as odd to other people...
 
I really believe in the "everything happens for a reason". Too many times it's proven true for me.

Ex: Needed a job. Interviewed for a desk job, didn't get the job. I was really mad, of course, but knew that there is a reason to everything. A week later I managed to get a spot volunteering for a well known low-income clinic that helps all sorts of people. Granted, it didn't help my money situation, but I learned a lot about community health and met some amazing people.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process? Any anecdotes would be welcome, too. I.e. do you pray for interviews, do you thank (a) god for acceptances you receive, do you turn to jesus for help when things aren't going well in Biochemistry? I just want to get a feel for how other people involve their religious beliefs in this part of their life. Do you plan to keep religion separate from your profession? Does an aspiring doctor have to be, at least somewhat, tolerant of other religious beliefs?

Any thoughts, experiences, insights, anecdotes would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

For me, my religion was a huge part of my application. In fact, it was the center-point of my personal statement. I know supposedly religion should be an "off-limits" topic for stuff like personal statements, but it really is the aspect that defines me and my desire to enter medicine. It seemed to work out OK for me.

I also definitely prayed about the application process, not that I would get into MY personal top choices or that I would get in, but that I would wind up wherever God has planned for me and that I would do as well as possible at my interviews. Calling God malevolent for not getting you into your top choice is, in my obviously biased opinion, missing the point that God may have a different plan for our lives than what we are thinking. And then when I got into one of my top two choices, the first thing I did after I got the call was drop on my knees and thank God who blessed me with that opportunity. I do not understand why God would give me the opportunity over someone else, but I DO know that I am now resolved from now on to make the most out of the opportunities I've been given.
 
I wasn't going to add to this thread because I thought it would be going downhill fast, but so far the snide remarks have been kept to a minimum so here it goes.

I'm a practicing Catholic. As it has been said, I never prayed for an interview or acceptance. Before the MCAT I said a prayer that I would be able to remain calm and access all the knowledge that I had so I could do the best I can. I scored 4 points higher than I did on any practice test.
I pray for guidance, for patience, and for strength. When I actually do have to make a decision about which school I'll go to, then I will pray that I will make the right decision. Mostly, though, I've prayed prayers of thanks.

My faith is connected with every part of my life. The hardest part of this process is going through it without my mom (who passed away) and that is what I pray about the most. I believe God has a big part in my decision to go into medicine and it will affect the way that I treat patients. I believe in evolution, in medicine, and am pro-choice. But I will pray for guidance when I need it, pray him to steady my hands during procedures, and thank him for all my success.
 
efitzpat said:
I wasn't going to add to this thread because I thought it would be going downhill fast, but so far the snide remarks have been kept to a minimum so here it goes.

I'm a practicing Catholic. As it has been said, I never prayed for an interview or acceptance. Before the MCAT I said a prayer that I would be able to remain calm and access all the knowledge that I had so I could do the best I can. I scored 4 points higher than I did on any practice test.
I pray for guidance, for patience, and for strength. When I actually do have to make a decision about which school I'll go to, then I will pray that I will make the right decision. Mostly, though, I've prayed prayers of thanks.

My faith is connected with every part of my life. The hardest part of this process is going through it without my mom (who passed away) and that is what I pray about the most. I believe God has a big part in my decision to go into medicine and it will affect the way that I treat patients. I believe in evolution, in medicine, and am pro-choice. But I will pray for guidance when I need it, pray him to steady my hands during procedures, and thank him for all my success.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Aside from the pro-choice/pro-life thing (which is neither here nor there), I see a lot of parallels with myself. More than anything I pray for guidance and pray in thanksgiving.
 
It goes back to being given opportunities. We all have the opportunity to do great, we pray for strength to rise to challenges, and we pray for the strength to accept if we fail.
 
I'm not religious (agnostic). No one in my family is either. I like the idea of everything happening for a reason, but I'm not sure. There's a lot of stuff I don't know and will never know in my lifetime. It would be nice to have an afterlife and all that jazz, but as far as I'm concerned, nothing is guaranteed. Not even the next minute of my life.

In the end, this could all be a hologram. ;) For those that get nervous at interviews, just convince yourself it's all a holographic image! :)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203130708.htm
 
funkydrmonkey said:
I prayed to God while I was studying/taking the MCAT, and got higher than any practice test that I took, despite only actually studying for 3 weeks during which I also read 18 novels:rolleyes: Plus there are random prayers that I have memorized which are supposed to help you study and during tests and so on...

I thank God after getting every interview invite and give 1 dollar for charity after every invite. After I got my acceptances, I thanked God profusely and gave 5 bucks to charity for each acceptance... Hey I am a college student, I am not made of money, but as of right now, I have given 49 bucks...:D

I do turn to God everytime I freak out and classes are not going well, and usually everything turns out well, as in my 4.0 last quarter even though I did not study at all...
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Isn't asking for a supposedly all-knowing power's help during your exams cheating? If you seriously believe that prayer changes the outcome of events which are under your control and you have *special* prayers to help you during exams, how is it not cheating? And why did God choose to help you cheat to get a 4.0 when you did not study instead of a kid who actually worked hard?

(P.S. Please share your *special* prayers with the starving and abused children of the world, so that their prayers too will be answered... sadly your God must think of their prayers as less deserving than yours since they have gone unanswered. What kind of God thinks their prayers are less important than those asking for help in filling in the correct Scantron bubbles?)
 
Artimacia said:
I really believe in the "everything happens for a reason". Too many times it's proven true for me.

Ex: Needed a job. Interviewed for a desk job, didn't get the job. I was really mad, of course, but knew that there is a reason to everything. A week later I managed to get a spot volunteering for a well known low-income clinic that helps all sorts of people. Granted, it didn't help my money situation, but I learned a lot about community health and met some amazing people.
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It's undoubtedly true that everything happens for a reason... you weren't selected for the job because the employer chose someone else.
 
speedyk said:
It's undoubtedly true that everything happens for a reason... you weren't selected for the job because the employer chose someone else.
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It's more of a matter of semantics. She/he means "everything happens for a purpose." We all know the reasons for things or at least can track most of them. I.e. my car lost control on the way to work. The reason was there was snow on the ground. Was their a purpose to me sliding? Who knows. It's assumed he/she meant "purpose" even though the saying uses the word "reason."

Similar mistakes come up in the phrase "great minds think alike," which is said when two people say a similar thought. The actually saying should be "minds that think alike are great." The first line doesn't specifically state, but rather incorrectly assumes/implies what the second line actually states. Transitive property so to speak...again just another matter of semantics so no need to stop someone and point it out (unless you like to piss people off :)). Do this next time:

Stranger: Great minds think alike!
You: I think you actually mean "minds that think alike are great."
Stranger: What?
You: You just proved my point.
Stranger: ....
You: i did it for the lulz

That's a quick way not to make friends. ;)
 
speedyk said:
Isn't asking for a supposedly all-knowing power's help during your exams cheating? If you seriously believe that prayer changes the outcome of events which are under your control and you have *special* prayers to help you during exams, how is it not cheating? And why did God choose to help you cheat to get a 4.0 when you did not study instead of a kid who actually worked hard?

(P.S. Please share your *special* prayers with the starving and abused children of the world, so that their prayers too will be answered... sadly your God must think of their prayers as less deserving than yours since they have gone unanswered. What kind of God thinks their prayers are less important than those asking for help in filling in the correct Scantron bubbles?)
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:laugh::laugh::laugh:

Umm I dunno, ask him... :rolleyes:
 
It has recently played a larger role in my life.. like in the past 6 months or so. I've been pretty happy about it.
 
Religion and Religious people completely fascinate me as I can't understand them and the way they think. I went to Catholic school from Pre-school to 12th Grade (and go to a College "founded in the Catholic tradition" now) and got really sick of being force-fed the whole religion thing. I think religion can be a great and beneficial thing for people who feel like they need it or it helps them through their lives, but also hate-inspiring and dividing for others. I am now an agnostic.
 
All of these posts are very interesting.

I grew up never going to church or having someone introduce me to religion. Lately I have given it some more thought, but in the end I always come back to feeling like a cheat. I would find myself most likely to ask for help or guidance ("pray" or whatever you want to call it) in times when something in my life isn't going right.

Then again, life has always sort of worked out for me...of course there have been ups and downs, but I am talking in general...so, I guess I would say that I have been blessed by...god, or fate, or coincidence. Especially during this application process.
 
speedyk said:
Isn't asking for a supposedly all-knowing power's help during your exams cheating? If you seriously believe that prayer changes the outcome of events which are under your control and you have *special* prayers to help you during exams, how is it not cheating? And why did God choose to help you cheat to get a 4.0 when you did not study instead of a kid who actually worked hard?

(P.S. Please share your *special* prayers with the starving and abused children of the world, so that their prayers too will be answered... sadly your God must think of their prayers as less deserving than yours since they have gone unanswered. What kind of God thinks their prayers are less important than those asking for help in filling in the correct Scantron bubbles?)
Click to expand...

Look, stop picking fights. The purpose of this thread is for those who are religious to share how their beliefs affect their life as a pre-med. Notice that not a single believer so far has criticized one of the atheist/agnostics for their lack of belief, though the reverse has not been the case. If you disagree, fine. But attacking someone elses beliefs will not spark any beneficial discussion because religion is most often not based on logic or reason.
 
seelee said:
look, stop picking fights. The purpose of this thread is for those who are religious to share how their beliefs affect their life as a pre-med. Notice that not a single believer so far has criticized one of the atheist/agnostics for their lack of belief, though the reverse has not been the case. If you disagree, fine. But attacking someone elses beliefs will not spark any beneficial discussion because religion is most often not based on logic or reason.
Click to expand...
+1
 
seelee said:
Look, stop picking fights. The purpose of this thread is for those who are religious to share how their beliefs affect their life as a pre-med. Notice that not a single believer so far has criticized one of the atheist/agnostics for their lack of belief, though the reverse has not been the case. If you disagree, fine. But attacking someone elses beliefs will not spark any beneficial discussion because religion is most often not based on logic or reason.
Click to expand...

QFT
:thumbup:
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
I just got done watching "Religulous" with Bill Maher, and I must admit, I haven't laughed that much in a while. Even though his reasoning is questionable at times, his methods are hardly convincing (to true believers), and the whole movie does have the air of propaganda, there are some nuggets of truth that made me think about religion.

The nerd I am, I checked SDN for any new threads, and began to wonder how religion plays a role in the premed/application period. For me, religion played no role in this period, but I know of people who pray for acceptances.

So here is my question: how does/did religion play a role in your premed life and the application process? Any anecdotes would be welcome, too. I.e. do you pray for interviews, do you thank (a) god for acceptances you receive, do you turn to jesus for help when things aren't going well in Biochemistry? I just want to get a feel for how other people involve their religious beliefs in this part of their life. Do you plan to keep religion separate from your profession? Does an aspiring doctor have to be, at least somewhat, tolerant of other religious beliefs?

Any thoughts, experiences, insights, anecdotes would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

God has a plan for us all (of course my belief). Of course I would like to think I know exactly why He has pushed me in this direction, but I don't...but I am grateful that he has.

I don't pray for interviews, I just pray for Him to direct me in whatever direction he sees fit....Luckily so far that has been in the direction I want to go.

I often struggle with several aspects of religion just b/c so much of it cannot explain so many phenomena. My relationship with God can get a bit uneasy at times.

In terms of being tolerant of other religions: Of course...I try to be as tolerant of everyone who may hold may hold different beliefs from me...do on to others as you would expect them to do unto you.
 
I'm surprised to see so many religious people here...


Interesting posts!
 
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