Which med schools have strong student-run christian organization?

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MadAznScientist

MadAznScientist

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Does anyone know which med schools have strong christian influence on the student population?? I'm thinking student organizations committed to doing foreign medical missionary work, or med school faculty involved in that kind of thing. I know Loma Linda is big on this, but are there any other schools like it?

PS. I don't mean only schools with religious affiliation... just ANY schools with such student organizations or med school faculty.
 
I think most schools are going to have some kind of organization like that, but they'll probably vary a lot in 'strength of organization', and those kinds of reputations rarely reach beyond the school.

I think it would be a great thing to look into or ask your tour guide about during interviews though. Realistically, if doing charitable work is important to you, you'll find a way to do it wherever you go.
 
👍 Great thread. I'm interested in finding out more about this too =)
 
Almost every school/region is going to have a chapter of CMDA, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, (they claim 80% of med and dental schools) if not some others groups. I unofficially joined the CMDA as an undergrad (you only officially join as a med student) as they waive all fees for students, but it is a good souce of information on general views of Christian physicians on a variety of issues. Clearly, I don't agree with them on everything, but it is an interesting resource. They certainly do a lot of medical missions and such.

Of course, some individual chapters may be larger and more involved than others, and I can't comment on which ones are, as well as other more school centric groups. I could PM you some contact information to some CMDA regional leaders who could direct you to the local leaders of any schools you are interested in or comment on that school's particular involvement. Many school websites also list clubs at their school with contact information if you are willing to do some work.
 
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
 
plaz said:
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
Click to expand...

That statement is undeserving of a response, but I'll interject by saying that science and theology need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, Einstein's famous for saying that science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
 
SpaceDementia said:
That statement is undeserving of a response, but I'll interject by saying that science and theology need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, Einstein's famous for saying that science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
Click to expand...

Here are some of quotes from Einstein to give you some context:

"I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind."

"I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one."

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal god and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."
​
Einstein was not a theist.
 
plaz said:
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
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Too many pre-meds aren't actually interested in science or even getting at the truth. I've always wished that the religious make up of doctors and medical students could be more similar to that of PhD scientists and students.
 
plaz said:
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
Click to expand...


You might want to direct your question to Dr. Francis Collins, the leader of the human genome project, the new director of the National Institute of Health, and the author of "The Language of God." Apparently, he enjoys talking with students about his religious faith. Doctors who believe in some form of God are not rare. There are plenty of believers, agnostics, and athiests under the MD tent. It is a big tent.
 
theacks1 said:
Almost every school/region is going to have a chapter of CMDA, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, (they claim 80% of med and dental schools) if not some others groups. I unofficially joined the CMDA as an undergrad (you only officially join as a med student) as they waive all fees for students, but it is a good souce of information on general views of Christian physicians on a variety of issues. Clearly, I don't agree with them on everything, but it is an interesting resource. They certainly do a lot of medical missions and such.

Of course, some individual chapters may be larger and more involved than others, and I can't comment on which ones are, as well as other more school centric groups. I could PM you some contact information to some CMDA regional leaders who could direct you to the local leaders of any schools you are interested in or comment on that school's particular involvement. Many school websites also list clubs at their school with contact information if you are willing to do some work.
Click to expand...

True... I'm sure not all CDMA members are doctrinally unified, given the myriad of denominational backgrounds comprising the organization's members. But I'm also sure that while out in the field doing medical mission, trivial doctrinal issues just melt away.

But yeah, could you please PM some leaders' contacts (California med schools)? I'd really appreciate it. Which med school I choose to go to (assuming I'd have more than 1 choice 😉 ) may depend on how involved I can potentially be in medical mission work through such organization(s) and contacts in that particular school.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
You're not trolling directly I suppose, but you're beginning a discussion that will inevitably progress into insults, name-calling, and overall stupidity.
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I hope you realize you can only speak for your own behavior and not mine.
 
searun said:
You might want to direct your question to Dr. Francis Collins, the leader of the human genome project, the new director of the National Institute of Health, and the author of "The Language of God."
Click to expand...

Yes, and he is continually hounded by many of his colleagues for it.
 
plaz said:
I hope you realize you can only speak for your own behavior and not mine.
Click to expand...

I'm not referring to your behavior nor mine, but this is what happens when you get a group of type A people that are firm in their beliefs. Look at the thread I linked to for a good example.
 
plaz said:
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
Click to expand...
Gahhhhh, all it takes are 9 words and one emoticon to sidetrack this thread.... oh c'mon guys! Can we please stick to the original topic?
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I'm not referring to your behavior nor mine, but this is what happens when you get a group of type A people that are firm in their beliefs. Look at the thread I linked to for a good example.
Click to expand...

I had a look. I refuted the ontological argument you presented.
 
plaz said:
Um... so anyone who doesn't hold a theistic worldview is a troll?

Hey, watch this. I can do it to: 🙄.
Click to expand...

No. What I was implying was that it's rather fallacious to assume that there should be a negative correlation between scientific background and religious proclivity, and that making such assumptions can come across as inflammatory.
 
plaz said:
Yes, and he is continually hounded by many of his colleagues for it.
Click to expand...

Given the myriad of scientific awards that have been bestowed on Dr. Collins, it is quite apparent that he is well respected in medical and scientific community. He is a world class scientist. He is quite secure in his faith and very articulate in explaining his beliefs and how they interact with his work as a scientist.

Sure, some of his colleagues do not share his beliefs, but so what? Dr. Collins is an example of someone who is more accomplished as a scientist than you or I will ever be, and has a religious faith. Don't let it drive you nuts. Believe as you choose but don't get worked up about people who view the world differently than you and please refrain from suggesting that such people are ignorant, unlike your own enlighted self. It makes you sound silly and arrogant.
 
searun said:
Given the myriad of scientific awards that have been bestowed on Dr. Collins, it is quite apparent that he is well respected in medical and scientific community. He is a world class scientist. He is quite secure in his faith and very articulate in explaining his beliefs and how they interact with his work as a scientist.

Sure, some of his colleagues do not share his beliefs, but so what? Dr. Collins is an example of someone who is more accomplished as a scientist than you or I will ever be, and has a religious faith. Don't let it drive you nuts. Believe as you choose but don't get worked up about people who view the world differently than you and please refrain from suggesting that such people are ignorant, unlike your own enlighted self. It makes you sound silly and arrogant.
Click to expand...

It doesn't drive me 'nuts', and I never said he hasn't accomplished a lot. I also never claimed to be free from ignorance. You're misrepresenting me.
 
armybound said:
Please don't come into a thread specifically to derail it or cause problems.

Let's stay on topic and productive.
Click to expand...

Was not my intent. Just posted a question that came to mind as I read through the thread. But whatever.
 
plaz said:
It doesn't drive me 'nuts', and I never said he hasn't accomplished a lot. I also never claimed to be free from ignorance. You're misrepresenting me.
Click to expand...

Your original statement was either meant to be insulting, or revealed a profound ignorance typical of some atheists here on SDN. They seem to live in an isolated bubble where theists are confined to the two-toothed NASCAR-watching demographic. In fact, a large majority of doctors in this country are religious.
 
Rush has a Christian Medical Association. http://rmstudents.com/group/rush-christian-medical-association

I'm not a member and have no idea how much/what they do. I think there is also a Christian place that we send volunteers out to every so often.

There are lots of schools out there. Do you have any idea where you want to apply? Maybe if you asked about specific schools, here or in the school app threads, people could be more helpful.
 
ANother thing. CMDA has a 'contact' link on their webpage so maybe you can ask them which schools seem to participate the most.
 
Medical College of Wisconsin has an active CMA -- at least it's been active over the last 4 years while I was there. It has a good faculty support system (basic science and clinical science advisers). There are things to get involved in, in the community. Not sure about international missions, but a group usually goes to the missions conference in Kentucky every year.
 
MadAznScientist said:
Does anyone know which med schools have strong christian influence on the student population?? I'm thinking student organizations committed to doing foreign medical missionary work, or med school faculty involved in that kind of thing. I know Loma Linda is big on this, but are there any other schools like it?

PS. I don't mean only schools with religious affiliation... just ANY schools with such student organizations or med school faculty.
Click to expand...

I was at Loma Linda one time. They begin rounds with a prayer and have pictures of Jesus everywhere in the hospital.

They also prohibit caffeine and pepper if memory serves correctly.
 
plaz said:
How are premeds educated in the sciences still theists? 😕
Click to expand...


so i guess this begs the OBVIOUS question.

who is more religious? MD OR DO?! who is more stupider? WE MUST KNOW!
 
bleargh said:
a heavily skewed rhetorical question. don't play dumb.
Click to expand...

So enlighten me. What would be the answer to this rhetorical question, then? I mean, it must be obvious, right?
 
plaz said:
So enlighten me. What would be the answer to this rhetorical question, then? I mean, it must be obvious, right?
Click to expand...

the answers to rhetorical questions are known to the questioner, not necessarily the queried.
 
plaz said:
Um... so anyone who doesn't hold a theistic worldview is a troll?

Hey, watch this. I can do it to: 🙄.
Click to expand...

No, but that's not what you did, is it?

You're judging others' worldview, not your own.

You're not the victim in this exchange.
 
OK, seriously, let's get this back on track. I know you all think you have some brilliant, witty "last remark" that you just feel that you have to throw in before you let the discussion go... it never ends well. Everyone will keep having "one last thing" to throw in, which begets MORE "one last things," and so on.

The topic of the thread is which schools have strong Christian-run organizations. As entertaining and valid as a discussion between atheists and theists may be, it does nothing to answer that question, so this is not the appropriate place for that debate.
 
GoSpursGo said:
OK, seriously, let's get this back on track. I know you all think you have some brilliant, witty "last remark" that you just feel that you have to throw in before you let the discussion go... it never ends well. Everyone will keep having "one last thing" to throw in, which begets MORE "one last things," and so on.

The topic of the thread is which schools have strong Christian-run organizations. As entertaining and valid as a discussion between atheists and theists may be, it does nothing to answer that question, so this is not the appropriate place for that debate.
Click to expand...

I'll show you witty...

:hijacked:
 
Loma Linda!

The end.

Peace! I love you all!
 
Everyone gets an A+ for keeping this thread on track 👍

That includes the mods. 👍

Now, so that I don't hijack the thread with my "congrats for not letting the thread get hijacked" I shall contribute:

OP, you MIGHT be able to find some of this information from each school's website under "student activities/clubs."

:luck:
 
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