A reflection paper I wrote for PDR (Patient Doctor Relationship) during my first year in med school:
Jesus MD is a book written by Dr. Stevens, who shared his experiences as a missionary doctor in Africa and the stories of Jesus as the Great Physician. I grew up in a very loving and supportive Christian family, my grandparents were missionaries, and they are very active in the ministry. I knew that I wanted to become a doctor since I was in kindergarten, but there were no doctors in our family, so I didn’t really get to correlate Jesus as a doctor, but I knew that I wanted to be able to heal and help people like He did. The book is definitely an eye opener, not just how Dr. Steven related the work, healing and miracles of Dr. Jesus in how we should practice medicine, but also his life experiences as a missionary doctor in Africa. As I finish the book, there are three things kept in my mind and heart: the experience, the compassion, and the impossible.
The experience. Dr. Stevens always reiterated that teachable moments do not usually happen in the classroom but in the bedside where medical problems are experienced face to face. See one, do one, teach one. I realized that becoming a doctor is not just about memorizing and understanding the human body but being able to practice it excellently. After realizing this, I make sure that every concept I read in the major subjects can be clinically correlated, so that it will be helpful in my clerkship and practice in the near future.
The compassion. Curing comes after caring, that’s what Dr. Jesus always showed in the Bible whenever he healed a person or performed a miracle. I realized how important it is to never lose the altruism, my reason and my heart for the people. I pray that I may always see the world as Christ saw it. I pray that He breaks my heart for what break His, may it be everyday.
The impossible. Finally, through the stories of the practice of Dr. Stevens as a missionary doctor, I realized how finite and limited I am as a medical student and as a future doctor. I know that it is not possible for me to memorize all the parts of the human body, the pathways in biochemistry, and all the regulations in physiology. Somehow, I know that there will come a time that I will fall short.
There will always be some things that I cannot do, these are the things that I have to lay on God. But I love how the book reminds us that the more the impossible the situation, the more we need to trust God, and the more He can showcase His power. Even if future lives are in our hands, I hope that I am always humbled by the fact that all the glory and honor should be given back to Him. With Dr. Jesus, I hope to reach out and heal a dying world. “With man this is possible but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26
Wonderful book full of good medical missionary stories & thoughts tied into spiritual truths any Christian can relate to & incorporate into their spiritual life.
Had been looking for a book like this for a long time. So much of what Jesus did on his time on earth was heal people, so it always struck me that there should be a book for doctors (though this book is definitely helpful for everyone) that helps us understand our power as healers in Christ's context. This was exactly the book I was looking for.
This book makes apt analogies between the great physician and our own work. As a bonus it is full of fascinating stories about life as a medical missionary. Loved this book, definitely recommend for anyone looking to bring more soul and spirit into the practice of medicine.
This was a good spiritually challenging read. I especially was intrigued by the stories of the author's actual work as the resident doctor at a mission hospital in Africa. He correlates being a doctor...the training, the demands, the daily life, etc...with the way a Christian learns from and follows Christ. The last chapter about how the building of their hydroelectric dam to power the hospital was brought about despite incredible obstacles was a real challenge and call to faith.
This was a great read, however, I read it many years ago and cannot fully recall the intricacies of the book. It's a great book by a physician who worked at a huge hospital in South Africa for a number of years. Fantastic read for those who are interested in medicine, especially foreign medical missions.
An incredible explanation of how and why Jesus was such a good healer and how we should incorporate these attributes into ourselves. Also such great accounts of Dr. Stevens' own experiences trying to bare the image of Jesus in his own practice and just the amazing adventures of a missionary doctor. Great read to anybody who interacts with people for a living.
This made me want to get out there and use any skill I had to help people who are helpless. It recounted his years as a missionary doctor in Africa...many jaw dropping stories in this book. What a life to be proud of.
At first I thought the title was a bit cheesy but it's actually full of wisdom and practical advice that I can apply to my daily practice. It gave me a clearer picture on what it should be like to follow Jesus' example.
Great book for christians in the health professions. Can be cheesy at times, but great message, particularly for medical students and residents wanting to learn how to be a christian doctor.