CMANA Connection December by CMANA Students

CMANA Connection

December 2016

THE OFFICAL NEWSLETTER FOR THE STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE COPTIC MEDICAL ASSOCAITON

Recent Missions

participant testimonials page 8

Faith, Law, & Medicine Page 14 Soul Food: Spirituality & Medicine Page 25

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CMANA Student Publication Editorial Board Members: Editor & Chief: Ramzy Lotfi Jessica Dimian Justine Latif Martina Yacoub Monica Saleeb Nardin Derias

CMANA C o n n e c t i o n table of con tents

04 Event Bulletin 05 President's Message 06 Student Board Roster 07 New Website

Student Publication cmanam erica.org 05

08 Upcoming Trips 09 Bolivia Mission Testimonials 12 Egpt Mission Testimonial 14 Faith, Medicine & Law 18 Diversity in Medicine Do it. Getting 20 Just things Done . 22 Trusting God During the Application Season Food: Spirituality 25 Soul & Medicine 28 Train Better Feel Better 31 The Holy City 33 Starting a Chapter

08 20

WE ARE LOOKING FOR WRITERS!

33 If you are interested in being a writer for CMANA Connection please contact us at: cmanastudents@cmanamerica.org

CMANA

Box 58 Manlius, NY 13104 USA

CMANA BULLETIN upcoming student events

CMANA CONNECTION

NATIONAL STUDENT PRESIDENT

DECEMBER 2016

MICHAEL KARASS, MD

erry Christmas and a very joyous New Year. As James the martyr in M the second century said, Christians … love all men, and are persecuted “

by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all.” It is a proud day to see our brothers and sisters go from living on earth to living eternally with Christ, while praying to Him who called them home. As we gain witnesses in heaven, I pray that we take on their example as true witnesses to the Healer of souls and bodies. I pray that the seed that they planted by their blood will compel us to live our lives in service to others Sincerely, Michael Karass CMANA Students President 5

YOUR CMANA STUDENT BOARD PRESIDENT: MICHAEL KARASS

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS: MARK RAMZY (NORTH REGION) RAMZY LOTFI (SOUTH REGION) SECRETARIES: AMYE FARAG AMEER HALIM COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBERS: JOHN SIDHOM DEMYANA AZER OLIVIA BASSILY MARIAN AWAD JACQUELINE YOUSSEF CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE: NARDINE BEKHIT 6

NEW

CHECK IT OUT AT CMANAMERICA.ORG

WEBSITE DESIGN

About Us

Mission Trips

Student Chapter Activities Make a Donation

OUR MISSION INSPIRED BY THE LOVE OF GOD, WE STRIVE TO SERVE THE SICK, UNITE THE BODY OF CHRIST, MENTOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND EQUIP LOCAL MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TO EXPERIENCE GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HEALING POWER.

STUDENT MEMBERSHIP IS FREE! 7

Upcoming 2017 Mission Trip Dates 1/28 - 2/4 Ethiopia 2/18 - 2/25 Namibia 5/27 - 6/3 Haiti & 9/23 - 9/30 Haiti 7/8 - 7/ 15 Bolivia & 8/19 -8/26 Bolivia 11/4 - 11/11 Egypt For any questions related to mission trips please email us at missions@cmanamerica.com

THE MISSION OF

CHRIST IN BOLIVIA TESTIMONIAL ONE

By Christina Besada, Pre-Med Philadelphia College of Pharmacy University of the Sciences Getting to join this mission trip was by no means a matter of chance, but rather, a blessed opportunity from God. I was originally not supposed to be a member of this trip, but God seemed to find it fitting that I join and I could not be more thankful. Upon arrival, I could feel the love these people had even in the airport. They welcomed us with big and open arms, flowers, and songs, and I immediately felt like I was at home even though I was thousands of miles away. Every single minute in Bolivia, I felt God’s presence and His mighty hand working with us. The clinic, though not like the ones we are used to in America, seemed to run like a welloiled machine. The doctors were able to speak to everyone that came, and thanks to all of the gracious donations, we were able to give them the medications that they needed. Even in the villages, the doctors and the students worked harmoniously to treat every single person that journeyed over to there from miles away.

There is one important lesson that I would like to share with all of you readers: Many of the students that came on this trip felt like they were not able to contribute much because they were still only in school learning. However, we may not be the ones holding the tools like the otoscope or blood pressure cuff, but each of us did posses the most important tool – prayer. More than medical attention, these people needed prayer, and we often forget that prayer is the best way to support people. So do not feel useless, because God never lets our skills go to waste! Mission trips are a great way to invest your time and to put things into perspective. You will have the chance to bond with some of the greatest people and create lifelong friendships. I know that was certainly the case on this Bolivia trip. We even had a slogan for our group: “Too close too fast” and it just goes to show how easily we were all able to connect. It is definitely a great experience to have, but it is more beneficial for the people you are serving than for yourself. “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40). What greater privilege do we have than to serve? Bolivia 2016 was an experience like no other, and I pray that the service done there has a ripple effect and continues to expand.

BOLIVIA, QUE TOMÓ UN PEDAZO DE MI CORAZON

BOLIVIA, YOU TOOK A PIECE OF MY HEART).

(

THE MISSION OF

CHRIST IN BOLIVIA TESTIMONIAL TWO

Testimony from Juliana Bibawy High School Student I honestly couldn't have asked for a better trip. Before I left, I didn't know how it would go. I'm not in a medical profession whatsoever, I'm still in high school! When I got to Bolivia, I didn't know anyone (except for my dad who came with me), and I had to just accept the fact that I might not be any help and would just do whatever they needed me to do. As soon as we started the mission, George gave everyone a job, even the 11 year old that was with us. We all felt like we were doing something to make a difference, even if it wasn't hands on like the doctors. Just giving out wafers to hungry kids was enough to see their face light up with joy. Those happy faces are what real joy is: being happy with the little you have. CMANA themselves made sure everyone felt included and treated us like family! From singing our hearts out on the bus to the half hour devotions to taking pictures in the clinic, it was truly an amazing experience I will never forget.

THE MISSION OF

CHRIST IN EGYPT TESTIMONIAL

By Sally Azer, Medical Student

“Please help! My foot!” cried a man from the back of the line. He was being carried by two of his friends, one on either side to support him. From the calf down, his right leg was bandaged and hovering off the ground. I could see the wrinkles form on his young face as he winced in pain. His friends helped him onto a table. I unwrapped the bandage as he told me about the motorcycle accident. His toes were green and gangrenous, a condition that develops when blood cannot flow and supply oxygen to keep the tissue alive. I found one of our team’s surgeons and he examined his foot. He was going to need an amputation. The surgeon asked about his occupation and the patient’s face lit up, “I take care of chickens”. “And your friends? What do they do?”, the surgeon asked. “We drive the chickens”, they replied just as cheerfully.

I was overcome by their simplicity and joy. Even though this man was suffering and had just learned he was going to lose some toes, he was glad that he was being cared for by his friends and by our team. I found that simplicity throughout my experience in this rural Egyptian town of Akhmim; that simplicity of love pervaded all our interactions with patients and was also present among our team members. The people were very receptive to us. At times when our resources fell short, they were still appreciative of the recommendations and medications we were able to offer. The reassurance of a doctor or the explanation of a diagnosis can provide so much relief or closure when you do not understand your medical condition. Seeing the image of Christ among underserved people is so overwhelmingly incredible, and you can feel His presence in every moment. My heart is full as I think of them and it aches for the day I return to them.

FOR OUR BOAST IS THIS, THE TESTIMONY OF OUR CONSCIENCE, THAT WE BEHAVED IN THE WORLD WITH SIMPLICITY AND GODLY SINCERITY, NOT BY EARTHLY WISDOM BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, AND SUPREMELY SO TOWARD YOU.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:12

Faith

NOV 2016

Medicine

CLUTTERED SPACE, CLUTTERED MIND TIPS FROM AN OFFICE GURU ON HOW TO TIDY UP A DINKY DESK

MARTINA YACOUB, J.D.

Law

Physician-Assisted Suicide: Our law, or his?

You might have noticed that in this past election, Colorado, among other states, voted to legalize physician assisted suicide. As of now, 5 states have elected to permit terminally ill, yet mentally sound, patients to choose the time and place of their own deaths. To be clear, physician assisted suicide and euthanasia are not synonymous in the legal sense. Euthanasia requires that the physician play an active role by administering lethal medications, usually intravenously. Physician assisted suicide, however, necessitates that the physician only provide the patient with the means or medication to take his/her own life. Issue 27 | 234

There is tremendous legal debate over whether the “mentally sound” requirement is realistic—some lawyers tend to believe that a patient facing his/her imminent death can’t possibly meet the definition of possessing mental stability. Despite this, state laws continue to expand to allow patients the right to choose the timing of their own deaths. The debate over physician assisted death, and the religious implications it has on practitioners and patients alike, has existed for decades—yet only recently have we begun to delve into the deepest and darkest realms of allowing patients to control the one thing humanity has never been able to conquer: death. 15

not want her family to painfully watch the cancer consumer her brain causing her to lose motor and cognitive functions. After suffering the side effects of ineffective treatment, Brittany wanted to die with dignity. She refused to let death control her—instead, Brittany decided she would be the master of her own death. Thus began the debate over Maynard’s decision to end her own life with the help of her physicians in Oregon. Lobbyists lauded Brittany’s decision to choose how and when she wanted to die, arguing that patientautonomy and liberty to govern one’s own life (or in this case, death) is In 2014, the story of Brittany Maynard rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment made headlines and tugged at of our Constitution, which states: heartstrings. At 29-years-old, Brittany, “[n]o state shall make or enforce any who was diagnosed with Stage 4 law which shall . . . deprive any glioblastoma, was given only a few person of life, liberty, or property, months to live. At first, Brittany began without due process of law.” This aggressive treatment to stop the growth liberty interest arguably authorizes of her brain tumor. She underwent a physician-assisted suicide. On the partial craniotomy and a partial other hand, religious groups have resection of her temporal lobe, which condemned her action, arguing that did little to halt the tumor. Physicians suicide is contrary to Divine Law. But then prescribed full brain radiation that what does this mean for healthcare came with a slew of painful side effects: practitioners whose patients request the hair on Brittany’s scalp would have physician-assisted suicide? By which been singed off, and covered with first- law are you compelled to abide: the degree burns. Hospice was out-of-theDivine or the secular? question for Brittany, as she did 16

The Church maintains that suicide strips God of His own sovereignty, a power not vested to humans. While the Holy Bible doesn’t explicitly condemn merciful killing, biblical scholars have drawn conclusions based on presumptions in the Scripture. In 2 Samuel, an Amalekite told King David that he had killed a wounded Saul after Saul requested the Amalekite kill him. King David ordered the Amalekite to be killed, as his actions had robbed Saul of his God-given life, a power only God holds (2 Samuel 1:1-16). Moreover, we’re all familiar with the most notorious commandment given to Moses: thou shalt not kill. Thus, God’s anger with Cain upon killing Abel stems from the fact that mankind is not bestowed the authority to take away another’s life. So while the right to die is a legal construct permissible under secular law, God’s Law speaks clearly on the issue of death: since God is the Giver-of-Life, only God can take it away.

After speaking to some practitioners about their thoughts on physicianassisted suicide, I gathered that the consensus is that physicians don’t want to impose their beliefs on patients. After all, if a patient wants to die in peace, why should anyone control whether this patient lives or dies? It’s a difficult decision, and physicians often feel like it’s paradoxical to undertake a role as a healer but to allow your patient to die before due time. If ever you find yourself hard-pressed between following your patient’s desire to “die with dignity” or to adhere to God’s Law, I pray you find wisdom in the Scripture and pray that God provide your patients with the strength to carry their heavy crosses. May we always remember and keep the Laws of the true Physician: “I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 20:19. 17

See now that I Myself am He! There is no God besides Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39.

DIVERSITY IN MEDICINE: WHERE IS THE RELIGIOSITY? Nardin Derias Aspiring physician from the University of Florida

Diversity. It seems to be a word that is thrown

This may be the dictionary definition of

around not only in our daily lives, but

diversity, but diversity is much more than

increasingly throughout the medical field.

that. Diversity can be that of mind,

Patients want to feel comfortable with their

experience, culture, or religion. It enriches

physicians and they innately feel more

the workforce because it provides

relaxed with someone who looks like they do

alternate perspectives and allows for more

and who potentially believes in what they do.

understanding and empathetic physicians.

Even the AAMC has sought to create a diverse

Neglecting the importance of diversity in

physician workforce through their application

medicine often results in bias and can

process to medical school, giving special

contribute to health disparities. AAMC

consideration to minority groups

may have taken steps to try to remedy the

underrepresented in medicine (2). The overall

lack of ethnic diversity, but another area

goal being to represent each minority in

of diversity is that of religiosity and it is

medicine in the same proportions as the

not as frequently spotlighted.

population as a whole.

Relatively few studies have been

Why is diversity in medicine even so

conducted to analyze the effect of religion

important? Well, let’s breakdown what

on how a physician practices. This begs

diversity means. The Merriam-Webster

the question of does a physician’s religious

defines it as: “the state of having people who

affiliation shape his or her clinical

are different races or who have different

engagements?

cultures in a group or organization.”

It is difficult to test the success of such

curriculum, but it is important to continue to

have difficult conversations and to become more

aware of how religion and culture affect

patients’ everyday lives. A helpful resource to

consult when approaching patients of different

religious backgrounds is:

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/pastoral/resed/div

ersity_points.html.

Physicians all come from different walks of life,

but are ultimately united through the mission of

providing quality and compassionate care to

their patients. Taking the time to understand the

backgrounds of those patients can truly change

the dynamic of their healthcare experience,

when a person feels understood and heard, it

One study showed that close to 50% of patients makes all the difference in the world to that

actually wanted to discuss religious concerns, particular individual.

but only 8% actually reported doing so; 94% of

people admitted to the hospital believe spiritual

health is as important as physical health (3). A

national survey that looked to evaluate the (1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P

religious characteristics of US physicians found MC1490160/ ;

that 55% of physicians say their religious beliefs (2)https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm/;

influence their practice of medicine (1). (3)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/

Physicians were twice as likely to consider PMC3208457/

themselves spiritual, but not religious and twice

as likely to deal with major life problems

without relying on God (1). Physicians in the

survey were also more likely to describe

themselves as “spiritual” rather than religious,

whereas, the general population saw the two as

more closely connected (1). Those statistics may

come as a bit of a surprise, is the physician

workforce becoming more ethnically diverse,

but producing physicians that are relying less on

their own religion?

There is a fine line when discussing culture and

religion with patients, but knowing when and

how to go about it is critical in ensuring that the

patient feels comfortable with the decisions he

or she is making. Diversity and cultural

competence has become incorporated into

curriculum for medical schools across the nation.

Justine Latif

Just do it.

Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy Class of 2017

Getting things done

Beginning a professional career starts with initiating a new lifestyle. Responsibilities begin to pile up as well as tasks and projects to complete with rapid deadlines. Balancing your work/studies with your free time is vital to living a healthy, enjoyable life. Some people know how to make it work by taking it one day at a time without stressing while there are those who stress and lose sleep over tasks that have not been completed and are approaching a deadline. Then you have those who just don’t care. Unfortunately for those who couldn’t care less, there isn’t much you can do with motivating them to get things done, but there’s always hope! After discussing time management with people who hold managerial positions, here is a short, general consensus of how they get multiple things done despite a hectic schedule: 1. Create two “To Do” lists Writing down a list helps keep track of everything you need to do. At times, we become so preoccupied with multiple things and lose sight of the small tasks that need to be done and are eventually forgotten. One list will be for long term tasks to complete and one for tasks that need attention that day or the next day. Long term tasks can consist of things you can gradually get done over a period of time such as studying, cleaning the house, doing laundry, projects, etc. They are things that eventually have to get done but do not require immediate completion. The short term tasks include anything with concrete due dates like sending emails, completing an assignment, paying rent, appointments, etc. They can also include life sustaining things such as cooking food for the week, enhancing your spiritual life, working out, or a social event. 2. Prioritize your tasks After creating your list, begin to prioritize what to do by weighing the importance of each task. Things that are very important and things that have close deadlines should be given more weight and priority to complete than those that are not as important and have later deadlines. 20

Creative success means balancing your love of starting things with a habit of finishing them." - Marie Forleo

" 3. Organize your time to complete the tasks Time management is the most important step. It often helps if you jot down the duration of time it will take to complete a task so you have a realistic sense of what needs to be done when it needs to be done by. Add 30 minutes to an hour for each task so that you can accommodate for the time that is wasted from texting, social media, breaks, etc. Many business owners recommend to finish the small, quick tasks first as it helps encourage you to complete other tasks. For example, you may have an assignment and rent due on the same day. It’s best that you complete the smaller, less time consuming task first (pay rent) to get it over with and move onto the next thing that may require a little more focus and time (the assignment). 4. Know your limits and be realistic Try to not overwhelm yourself with unrealistic and unnecessary things. A crowded schedule will add stress and will overwhelm you. Know how far you can go with assignments, projects, or even favors you decide to take on. If a friend wants to catch up and you don't have time, don't be scared to say "no" and rescheduling to another time.

With modernday technology, we tend to keep everything on our phones; however, it’s psychologically helpful when we write things down on a physical piece of paper so we visually see the list in writing, and it’s even more rewarding when you cross off a completed task! I honestly don’t know how it’s so selfsatisfying, but drawing that line through something you had to do gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to complete other chores. After putting these steps into play, it will become more easy to accomplish things with a hectic schedule and you will develop little tricks and strategies to get things done. Eventually, this will become second nature and you will be able to take on any amount of tasks to complete! 21

TRUSTING GOD IN APPLICATION SEASON By: Susie Ghobrial Biomedical Sciences Pharmacology and Toxicology SUNY at Buffalo

I am sure we have all experienced a time in our life where fear and doubt have set us back from achieving our dreams. Applying to a professional health school can test our candidacy of becoming a dentist, physician, pharmacist, etc., and—more importantly—our faith in Christ. This may not be true for all, but certainly many people are selfconscious about at least one item on their application. Pre health advisors constantly remind you that every year admission to professional schools becomes even more competitive, and you need to develop a “Plan B” in case things do not work in your favor. There is also the component of submitting the accomplishments of your entire undergraduate career to an admissions committee who does not intimately know you and, yet, will judge if you are worthy of fulfilling your future aspirations. Finally, the icing on the cake is the test of patience after you have submitted your applications. One waits for an interview and— upon being awarded an interview—one then needs to wait to hear of acceptance, rejection, or being transferred to a waitlist. There is a persistent fear that you might not make it and that everything you have done will ultimately amount to you having to settle for the subpar “Plan B."

There is this constant battle going on in our minds of, “am I just wishfully thinking and need to wake up and face reality? Or am I supposed to believe that I need to allow God to work in my life to show me that He is really here for me every step of the way and I cannot accomplish this on my own.” Here is one thing to consider—if we were able to do it this all on our own, would we really practice as professionals who feel we owe the work of our hands to our Creator? This episode in our lives is the first of many tests of faith in God. If we take a deeper look at the miracle of when Christ invited Peter to walk on water with Him in Matthew 14:2233, we will note the profound parallel to what we are currently experiencing. First there was a dark, windy, and cloudy storm that frightened the disciples. They could not see in front of them, nor did they know if they would survive storm. They see a figure walking towards them who claims to be the Lord. Peter then boldly asks Christ to command him out of the boat to confirm that this is truly a walk he will take with Christ and not an illusion (Ortberg, 2014). Once Christ answers, “come,” Peter does something most people would consider insane; he exits the boat in the midst of this storm to walk on water with Christ. He fully trusts Jesus’ word and does not doubt that He will enable him to do the impossible—walk on water. Initially, Peter is walking towards Christ and focused on Him and shares this experience with Him.

“But there is a thief in your mind who is after your dreams. His name is doubt […] and he has killed more dreams than failure ever did.” ~Richard Williams The moment Peter hesitates and shifts his focus from Christ to the strong winds, he begins to sink. Now place yourself in Peter’s position; he is sinking in the middle of the stormy sea, he is about to drown, he feels hopeless, and he likely regrets exiting the boat in the first place. One of the many admirable qualities of Peter is that the first thing he does once he realizes that he has fallen, is call out to the Lord to save him. After making a mistake and distrusting God, Peter runs toward Him rather than away from Him, just as he did when he denied Christ three times (Matthew 26:74).

Finally, Christ hears him, has compassion, and He reaches out to save Peter even after he doubted Him. Peter was able to walk with Christ through this journey and learn what it meant to trust in Him from living experience. He felt the Christ’s unbounded forgiveness and love. Christ liberated Peter from his fear and walked right beside him through this journey. We often forget that Christ is walking with us on each of our journey too. He is always beside us to save us when we fall. We must never shy away from our vocation just as Peter did not retreat from walking on water in the middle of a storm with Christ. Unlike any of the other disciples on the boat, Peter took the risk and was the only one to experience Christ at a deeper level. Our calling to be physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, and other professions are not just jobs but an expedition to understand whom our God really is and where He fits in our lives.

"HE IS ALWAYS BESIDE US TO SAVE US WHEN WE FALL."

22 23

Take this as an opportunity to come closer to Him and experience what He has planned you. Get out of the boat and see God’s hand in your life, because He promises us a plan as in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you […] plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” No matter how many times we fall, He will direct us to exactly where we need to be. Finally, how do we have strength to continue believing that God is with us throughout all of the rejections and waitlistings? “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” God never promised Moses that leading the Israelites out of Egypt would be easy, but He promised that He would be with Moses. Likewise, Saint Paul received his undoubting faith through all of the persecution he went through while preaching and his tribulation helped his boldness to flourish. Both men allowed God to take control of their lives and answered their calling. As a result, note how many miracles they performed and how many lives they changed. Let God be your source of strength and invite Him on this journey and He will take you higher than you can imagine. In Bolivia, one of the things that amazed me was that many of the people, especially within some of the poorest villages, were not able to receive the bare necessities they needed to live, and yet, they were still happy.

"For I know the plans I have for you [...] plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

They sang, they danced, the children played with us, and they rejoiced in the Lord. Initially, I could not understand how they were able to be so happy and carefree when they had no security of tomorrow. By the end of my trip, I learned a lesson from them: God will provide. He always has and He always will. They trust God each day to take care of them and their families, and most importantly, they do not doubt that He will come through for them. They are fully convinced that “what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4: 21).

"BE POSITIVE!"

They placed their strength in the Lord and find refuge in Him. His Grace Anba Youssef left us with two simple words that could sum up this entire lesson “be positive.” In the midst of our own stormy sea where we may fear and doubt our ability to fulfill our dreams, we must remember that there is a lot more that God is trying to teach us so that we can achieve a deeper relationship with Him. We are not called to live an easy life, but are guaranteed struggles so that we can learn to trust our Creator with undoubting faith. Once we decide to walk with Him wholeheartedly, He will change our lives and use us as His vessels, just as He used Moses and Paul. We must remember that He has a plan for us and when we fall, we should cry out to Him and find our strength in Him. Once we learn to do that, we can truly be an inspiration for our patients and impact their lives too.

Soul Food "TO BE QUITE HONEST, I WAS A LITTLE HESITANT WRITING ABOUT THIS. BUT AFTER SPEAKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE, I REALIZED THAT THIS SITUATION WAS NOT UNIQUE TO ME AND IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO SOMEONE IF I DID WRITE A LITTLE SOMETHING. "

SPIRITUALITY AND MEDICINE REFLECTION OF A THIRD YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT 25 Jessica Dimian

Over the past 2 years of my medical school career I noticed something about myself. I was becoming bitter. Was I losing my sympathy, my motivation, my whatever it was that made me eager to leave home, travel a thousand miles away from everyone I love, to have myself be caged up in a study room with unfamiliar people to learn things like the cell’s hydrogen potassium exchange or the ABC’s?

Sounds reasonable, right? The crazy part is that I chose this! Nobody forced me into it, bribed me, or convinced me. It was the one thing in my life that I was certain about. Yet, I was noticing slowly everyday that I was straying away from that “compassionate, spiritual, thoughtful” person I tired to be. Let’s just say I started to get more and more easily irritated. I was becoming Grumpy, the Snow White dwarf that I never liked. I couldn’t quite explain it to myself but I started to NOMADIC | 24 bottle things up and

had less patience for other people. So why was I feeling this way? I found the answer in church. Wait, it’s not like that, actually one of my dad’s friends was giving a Sunday lesson and the words fluttered across the room in my direction, rang in my ears, and struck my heart like bells “don’t forget to feed your spirit.” I repeated it a few more times to myself. Hit me deep, I had to write it in my iNotes! Come to think of it from a medical point of view first. How long can the human body go without food? Like 3 weeks. Realistically, the longest I can do is a few hours before I enter a whole new realm of hangry or near death. Ok so if I can only sustain a few hours without feeding my body, how long was I starving my soul? Is not my spirit alive? Don’t living things need to be fed to live? It was so easy for me to forget this simple but vital detail. While being caught up in a world of facts and caring for other people, I forgot about me, my spirit was in critical care. So the next time a surgery resident tells me to “grow a third arm” because the two that I have are struggling holding the 800 supplies, I can take a deep breath and remember that my spirit was fed this morning and situations like this can no longer shake me or make me bitter.

SPIRITUAL FOOD? 1 . Communion The ultimate way to feed your spirit . An intimate bond . 2 . Communication In order for a relationship to be healthy there needs to be communication . Which requires both speaking and listening . We often have no problem speaking about our issue and asking God for things , but we should be attentive to listen . 3 . Commitment Don ’ t be scared of this word y ’ all . But really , we can ’ t expect to over eat for a whole week and not eat at all the next . Be persistent . 27

Train Better F E E L

B E T T E R

5 fitness tips to save you time and keep you motivated

New years resolution, again?

M A N G O E S

doyouevenliftbro?

TIP#1 MEAL PREP, MEAL PREP, MEAL PREP!

I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HOW WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

AND MEAL PREP

Dedicate a few hours Sunday

night to make healthy food for

the week.

For easy recipes YouTube:

"Tasty"

Why do it?

. Pre-portioned meals removes

the emotional uncertainty if "you

overate" and you're less likely to

skip meals if you already have

them made.

. Saves you money

compared

to eating (unhealthy food) out

. Saves you time to prepare in

bulk rather than for each meal.

CMANACONNECTION

FITNESS TIPS #2 Keep a gym bag in the car

Keeps you motivated Gives you one less excuse to pass up a work out because you have to take a detour to grab your clothes

#3 Find a gym partner

#5 LIFT WEIGHT By Jessica DImian

You will notice the most gains when you start lifting. 1. It will increase your resting metabolic rate and you'll burn #4 Stay Hydrated more calories Drink lots of water. 2. Resistance training can help Make it a point to refill you prevent future injury by water canteen 4 at least 4 strengthening your bones and times a day. It will increase your energy, flush out toxins, tendons and keeps your skin clear. 3.You'll sleep better 4. It will make you happier 30

CMANACONNECTION

Find yourself a friend to keep each other inspired. Working out can be more fun with a partner and you have a free spotter! No need to hire a trainer

THE HOLY CITY By Monica Boughdady Medical Student, King’s College London

CHECK HER OUT ON THE BLOG BECOMINGFULLYALIVE.COM They ask me what it’s like to be a petite privileged girl living in an inner city ghetto on the south side of Chicago …. When the doctor’s asked what surgery she’d had and she said with a smile that she didn’t want to talk about it, alarm bells rang like the sirens that came after her 911 call. The doctor pushed through her silence and it shattered with the words ‘I was raped and I had an abortion’ I felt like I had forgotten how to breathe for a moment…or the girl who had an asthma attack this morning in the clinic had stolen all the oxygen…. her mother didn’t care enough to keep it controlled. They call this place ‘the holy city’ because it’s where all the gang lines meet. And It felt like holy ground but ground that I didn’t know how to walk on. Ground that was so hot with the fire of the Holy Spirit that it was burning my feet. I watched a giggling 13 year old girl with a secret turn into a broken woman.

I tried to catch her eye in our silence. My small offering in the midst of the ashes. They taught us at medical school that it was more about checklists than listening to stories. Everyone has a story, one we will never know if we never ask. In a culture of noise and talking, we must learn to rearrange the letters of the word ‘listen’ and make them spell ‘silent’ , because sometimes there are no words worthy of the pain. When silence is all we have to give, let us learn to sit in it. Let us recognize our calling to lament and weep with those who weep like Jesus wept for Lazarus. Let us avoid loving at a distance and learn to love like a neighbour. As Christians we must choose to challenge ourselves and take a fresh look at the notion of ‘professional detachment’ . We must realise that detachment is devoid of the connection that fosters healing.What if, with discernment, we chose to be IN the suffering instead of on the outside looking in?

They told us at medical school to detach from other people’s pain in case we catch it like an infectious disease. But there is a pain have coddled up to and I am intent on catching because maybe it feels like we cheat the world when we don’t share in its pain just like Christ shares in ours. Beyond prescribing and note taking we are called to be ministers of reconciliation, using the sword of the spirit to cut down the barriers that commonly divide us, So that a privileged girl with a thick British girl accent can take the hand of a African American girl from the ghetto and call her sister.

reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:1820) After all of this, I am still left with the questions; How can I be a ‘christian health care provider’, how can I be a good physician? We joke that health care providers can have ‘God complex’s’ – aloofness combined with blithe confidence in their powers then the God being imitated is not that of the Gospels. So one thing I know is that we need doctors and caregivers who do what Jesus does, who can be present, trust in God and lament when the suffering remains.

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:1820)

Starting a New Student Chapter Do you have a local CMANA Student Chapter at your University? If not, here is a 3-step checklist to get you started:

Spread the word at your local church youth group for a meeting for health and pre-health students Plan local CMANA Events like health fairs, community outreach, career education events, etc Meet regularly to recruit members to attend CMANA Missions & National Conferences

Are you a National CMNANA Member? Studnets Join for FREE! Register on our website: cmanamerica.org 33