THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE

Kirsten Shrewsberry, Diocese of Shreveport Editor and Director of PR

WHEN MADDY RODRIGUE ENTERS A ROOM, SHE BRINGS A LIGHT AND CONFIDENCE THAT SPEAKS TO HER BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Catholic Medical Student Association here in our diocese and she’s an incredible example of the future of medicine. This past month I had the opportunity to sit down with her at Carpenter Coffee House at St. Joseph Church in Shreveport and learn more about her perspective on the future of medicine in America. As a practicing Catholic learning to become a practicing physician, she had great insight to share.

CATHOLIC CONNECTION: Please tell me a little about yourself!

MADDY RODRIGUE: Originally, I’m from Houma, Louisiana. I attended Catholic school growing up and I have two younger siblings. I come from a big family and we’re all really close. I went to [Texas Christian University] for undergrad in biochemistry and loved it. When it came time to apply for med school, I felt that LSU Health Shreveport was very relational, and it felt like a good fit.

CC: Why did you choose to become a physician?

MR: I wanted to do musical theater originally! I always really enjoyed school, I was good at science, and I

wanted to weigh my options. I have a lot of family in the medical field, so it was already familiar, and I eventually decided to go that track. When I first started school, I wasn’t completely sure, but once I started volunteering and shadowing doctors, I found that I really enjoyed the interactions the doctors had with patients. The medical field is very poignant, it’s not just a business transaction, it’s somebody humbling themselves to ask for help. I really like how medicine is a constant question, there’s a constant need for collaboration to help the patient.

CC: Have you started to consider what you want to specialize in?

MR: I enjoyed internal medicine, but I’m still really open at this point. I feel that as a woman my nature is to care for others. I want to care for my patients beyond a surface level – I want to make sure that my patients are okay when they leave. Do they have resources? Do they need more help? As a woman I feel that I take on a lot of people’s hurt and pain. I think that will be a big factor in my continued learning experience in picking a specialty.

CC: How does your Catholic faith impact your journey in med school?

MR: I think my faith is a big reason why I choose medicine in the first place. I grew up learning that this life isn’t for me. It’s important for me to give to others and uplift others – it’s part of our call from Jesus. I always wanted my career to be about helping others and a big part of that is my foundation from my Catholic education. It’s my duty to help others get to heaven and know Jesus’ message and call.

I remember when I was in biology in undergraduate and my dad was worried that my studies would cause my faith to fall away. I would sit in class and learn about the intricacies of how the earth and our bodies work and that didn’t make me fall away from my faith, it only confirmed my faith! None of this could happen by accident, so there must be a Creator who intended this. My studies strengthened my faith.

I feel like the medical field in general is a service and a vocation to the people who are asking for help. There’s a connection that needs to be made to let your patient trust you and that you are feeling for them. I felt like that came a lot easier to me because of the call I felt from my faith.

CC: With this post-Roe world we live in, how do you approach your future in medicine?

MR: I’m nervous for the future, I don’t know what’s to be asked or required of me by my education in future rotations. It’s something I’ve had to pray about. I’m scared to be penalized but I know that I need to stand firm in my faith. I’m trying to be very intentional in how I learn during my OB/GYN rotations and focusing on spending time with Catholic doctors. I hope to be able to care for my patients’ full circumstances and help them in every way possible. You do your part, and do it well, and do it intentionally, and hope that they choose life.

Interview edited for length and clarity.