The Linacre Quarterly 80 (1) 2013, 3–7
Editorial Living faith in medicine CHRISTINE SPAMPINATO* AND ERIN O’DONNELL* Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA * Christine Spampinato and Erin O'Donnell have contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors
How do you balance spiritual nourishment with the demands of a challenging profession? What does it mean to be a doctor living out his or her Catholic faith? Where is the place of faith in medicine?
In the midst of classes and clinical work as second-year medical students, we found ourselves asking these important questions about our future profession. Even at this early stage in our medical training, we realized how easy it is to feel consumed by the assignments, activities, and leadership roles around us, and to lose sight of how the vocation of medicine could (and should) deepen our faith. Seeking to answer these questions of spiritual nourishment and to understand more clearly the place of faith in medicine, we embarked on a unique adventure to New York City the week before Christmas to work with the Sisters of Life and support their mission to help pregnant women. Conceived by Cardinal John Joseph O’Connor of New York in 1991, the Sisters of Life is a contemplative and active religious community dedicated to protecting and promoting a culture of life through prayer and outreach. This lively and growing community has several “missions” devoted to supporting women at risk of abortion who need help during and after their pregnancy, as well as post-abortive care and counseling. The sisters’ work is invaluable in what has been termed the Abortion Capital of America. In fact, the New York Post reported in 2010 that there are seven abortions for every ten live births, and further, among New York City’s black population, abortions outnumber live births three to two (Wilson 2010). Terrifying and sobering statistics such as these led us to learn more about their work. When we first contacted the sisters and shared with them our interest in volunteering at their missions, we received a warm and enthusiastic response followed by a thoughtfully planned schedule of activities we would participate in throughout the week. Once in New York City, the sisters provided us with inspiring, informing, and spiritually transforming learning experiences that we had yet to acquire in medical school. Among the many pearls of wisdom we learned, one message seemed to underlie all of our experiences: as physicians and as people, we need “to do little things with great love.” In the following reflections of four different experiences throughout the week, we hope to share with you the fruit we garnered and its application to us as medical students, but also to healthcare professionals as a whole. We begin by including the Physician’s Prayer—a prayer lived out not only by doctors, but also by all persons serving others, including many we worked with during this experience: © Catholic Medical Association 2013
DOI 10.1179/0024363912Z.0000000004
4
The Linacre Quarterly 80 (1) 2013
Lord, Thou Great Physician, I kneel before Thee. Since every good and perfect gift must come from Thee, I Pray: Give skill to my hand, clear vision to my mind, kindness and sympathy to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift at least a part of the burden of my suffering fellowmen, and a true realization of the rare privilege that is mine. Take from my heart all guile and worldliness, that with the simple faith of a child I may rely on Thee. Amen. (Prayers. St. Luke Society)
REFLECTION 1: I KNEEL BEFORE THEE On the Sunday following our arrival in New York City, we participated in the sisters’ Advent retreat. It was a day of silent reflection and meditation on the meaning of Advent and Mary’s role as the Mother of God. After Morning Prayer and breakfast, a brother from a local monastery shared his meditations on the Annunciation. He spoke of God’s invitation to Mary to carry a son, who would be the Son of the Most High, and Mary’s response of complete acceptance, “… be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Relating this mystery to our lives, Brother Gabriel rhetorically asked, “When God comes to each of us through the Holy Spirit, do we open our hearts to Him? Do we accept His invitations to be His servant?” Following the meditation, we sat in silence and reflected on how our hearts should always be attentive and open to such requests. The silent prayer and reflection lasted for the remainder of the day and provided an opportunity to retreat personally with God. Disconnecting ourselves from our phones, computers, and interaction with others provided us with such a freeing experience that differed drastically from our typical days at school. This detachment reminded us of how our personal relationship with God is the source and summit of the love that drives our future work as physicians. In silence, we disengaged from the chaos surrounding us and retreated to an intimate, loving conversation with God. In silence, we experienced how God speaks to and strengthens us for the tasks He calls us to carry out.
REFLECTION 2: LIFTING
AT
LEAST PART
OF THE
BURDEN
God also called us to service. In Harlem, New York, we helped the Missionaries of Charity serve breakfast to the poor and homeless, providing for some their only meal of the day. While sorting through fruits and cooking the soup, the volunteers prayed the rosary and recited several other prayers. “Make your work a prayer!” a volunteer of thirty years exclaimed. He explained that Mother—referring to Mother Teresa of Calcutta— would always emphasize making your work a prayer so you are doing work with Jesus and for Jesus. Although we busily prepared the meal until minutes before the doors opened, we maintained our focus on the true purpose of this service by taking short breaks to pause in prayer. During the course of the morning, we served well over eighty meals, giving away all the prepared food. To make sure no one went unnoticed or unattended, one of the
5
Editorial
sisters repeatedly told us, “You must watch the people.” It did not take us long to understand how this simple phrase the sister repeated holds important meaning in our interactions with others, especially in the medical field. In medicine, one of the most crucial roles of the healthcare provider is to be attentive to the patient and their needs. Often there are sundry distractions that can take the focus off the patient. The healthcare provider, however, should adopt this simple approach of centering their attention on the patient—not the disease, not the procedure, not the treatment, and not the paperwork. We must watch our patients and listen to their words so that no need goes unaddressed. While working with the Missionaries of Charity, we were reminded that one fundamental element unites all vocations—love. Whether it is serving a morning meal or serving our patients’ health, in each vocation we are showing love to a neighbor in need and working with their best interest in mind. Each of us, volunteers and physicians alike, must take the graces we have received and exercise them in an act of complete subservience to reflect God’s selfless love.
REFLECTION 3: KINDNESS
AND
SYMPATHY
TO
MY HEART
A few days later, while helping at the Expectant Mother Care (EMC) Pregnancy Center in Brooklyn, New York, we witnessed a living example of Mother Teresa’s wise words to do small things with great love. The EMC Center offers prenatal care and counseling for pregnant mothers who want to continue their pregnancy, but need resources and guidance for support. The main counselor at the clinic, Linda, told us that many of the young women who come in for help have had lives marked with countless difficulties and challenges. They go from foster home to foster home in their youth, deprived of the constant source of love and support a family provides. She then explained how many of these young women are “hungry for love,” hungry for kindness, respect, and sincerity of care. To find this acceptance, some young patients may turn to men or gangs to fill the void in their hearts. Helping at this clinic, we learned the importance of taking time with each patient, looking into their eyes, letting them be our only focus, and listening attentively to their concerns, both medical and non-medical. “Doing small things with great love” perfectly describes the goal of this pregnancy center. Linda has formed such strong relationships with her patients that many of the young girls who come in hungry for guidance, support, and love, call her “Mom” and openly share with her their feelings and concerns. Although this center provides mostly basic prenatal care services, the love in which these tasks are performed transforms simple acts into something much more profound. Besides the prenatal resources, these women receive a strong sense of dignity and a lasting impression that they are valued. Linda seeks to understand her patients beyond the surface level and strives to help them obtain what their hearts yearn for, whether that entails a stable companion or an opportunity to secure a job. Watching the interactions between Linda and her patients taught us how simply looking into the patient’s eyes or embracing them with a kind smile gives great meaning to each patient encounter. In practicing medicine, we have the unique opportunity to provide this form of love to patients on a daily basis.
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The Linacre Quarterly 80 (1) 2013
REFLECTION 4: A PRIVILEGE
AND
HONOR
Our final reflection focuses on an event one afternoon, when we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Mary Marron-Corwin, the director of Newborn Medicine and interim chairman of Pediatrics for Harlem Hospital. Walking into her office, we had little prior knowledge about whom we were meeting, but we quickly found that Dr. Marron was one of the most inspiring female, Catholic physicians we have ever met. Dr. Marron completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at St Vincent’s Hospital in New York City and then went on to fellowship training in neonatalperinatal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City. During her practice, she has received numerous awards, including the US News’s Top Doctors in America.1 We never would have guessed her impressive record of awards in speaking with her; her humility was obvious and the love she has for her patients was clear. We asked Dr. Marron to reflect on being a female, Catholic physician, and she openly shared her experiences for nearly an hour—every point being invaluable. First, she laid out three things to do to be a good Catholic doctor: receive reconciliation regularly, read scripture, and go to daily Mass. She then continued her story, interweaving love and suffering, faith, and humility into every anecdote and recommendation. She spoke of how in this profession, you will be scared and tired: “If you aren’t scared, you are doing something wrong; if you aren’t tired, you are doing something wrong.” She explained how physicians cannot know it all nor do it all, which therein shows a constant reminder of our need for Jesus’ loving strength and guidance. Whenever she struggles with a diagnosis or difficult situation, she turns to prayer, and each time she signs an “MD” behind her name, she makes a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the grace that went into earning this degree. Still, she warned us, there are traps and pitfalls in practicing medicine: “People will treat you like a God because you are a doctor. Power has a corrupting nature, and thus,” she asserts, “it is essential to stay close to God.” While Dr. Marron emphasized how practicing medicine is a rare privilege, she also offered several suggestions for overcoming the inevitable challenges we will face as caregivers. She told us to be joyful in every patient interaction and to understand that in every patient you see, Jesus is living. Practice the “Rule of Benedict” through your ora et labora, she instructed, and balance both prayer and work each day. “And if you think you can substitute one for the other, you are kidding yourself.” She went on to suggest retreating to “your inner cell” daily for strength and peace, practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and silently evangelizing everyone you meet through loving servanthood. Lastly, one of the most powerful pieces of advice she had was that when we feel desolation from God, we should dig in our heels, and ultimately accept complete abandonment in divine providence. CHOOSE WHAT YOU HAVE NOT CHOSEN (SAINT THÉ RÈ SE
OF
LISIEUX)
Overall, the five days spent in New York City with these different groups were spiritually transformative. Here, we saw battle played out between work and family, between the pro-life and pro-choice cultures, and between this world and the next. Inspired by the magnitude of our experiences, we write this article with the prayer that each of you may share in the grace of the Holy Spirit that we knew surrounded us in the people
7
Editorial
we met and opportunities we encountered. Whether reading these experiences inspires you to reflect on how they apply to your spiritual life or to learn more about the Sisters of Life and become a part of their support network, we pray that you may follow the Spirit and more joyfully live out your vocations as doctors, nurses, friends, mothers, and fathers. Dr. Marron emphasized evangelization through humbly serving others noting how when we live out God’s Love, we will “catch” others along the way. With this in mind as you continue your path, do not become disheartened about a long shift or a challenging patient. Joyfully pick up your cross and choose to walk along the path God has laid out for you. It is a blessed one. And no matter what He asks of you, whether great or small, do even the little things with great love. For More Information: If you have any interest in learning more about or supporting the Sisters of Life or EMC Pregnancy Center, please use the following contact information: Sisters of Life- Visitation Mission Center 257 East 71st St New York, NY 10021 (212) 737-0221, (877) 777-1277 EMC Pregnancy Center (718) 596-4300
ENDNOTE 1. New York Magazine has recognized Dr. Mary Marron-Corwin multiple times as one of the Top Doctors in New York and the Consumers Council of America listed Dr. Marron as one of the Top Pediatricians in the US. She has also appeared on EWTN, Lifetime, and Discovery Channel as a neonatal intensivist.
REFERENCES St. Luke Society: The Orange County Guild of the Catholic Medical Association Prayers. Web. Accessed 17 Dec. 2012. http://www.stlukesociety.org/St._Luke_Society_of_Orange_County/ Prayers_for_a_Physician.html. Wilson, J. Where New York’s not proud to lead. New York Post. July 1, 2010. http://www.nypost. com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/where_new_york_not_proud_to_lead_236nyjSL3ZbkCV 5woJqUFJ (accessed 07/19/12).
Editorial Living faith in medicine CHRISTINE SPAMPINATO* AND ERIN O’DONNELL* Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA * Christine Spampinato and Erin O'Donnell have contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors
How do you balance spiritual nourishment with the demands of a challenging profession? What does it mean to be a doctor living out his or her Catholic faith? Where is the place of faith in medicine?
In the midst of classes and clinical work as second-year medical students, we found ourselves asking these important questions about our future profession. Even at this early stage in our medical training, we realized how easy it is to feel consumed by the assignments, activities, and leadership roles around us, and to lose sight of how the vocation of medicine could (and should) deepen our faith. Seeking to answer these questions of spiritual nourishment and to understand more clearly the place of faith in medicine, we embarked on a unique adventure to New York City the week before Christmas to work with the Sisters of Life and support their mission to help pregnant women. Conceived by Cardinal John Joseph O’Connor of New York in 1991, the Sisters of Life is a contemplative and active religious community dedicated to protecting and promoting a culture of life through prayer and outreach. This lively and growing community has several “missions” devoted to supporting women at risk of abortion who need help during and after their pregnancy, as well as post-abortive care and counseling. The sisters’ work is invaluable in what has been termed the Abortion Capital of America. In fact, the New York Post reported in 2010 that there are seven abortions for every ten live births, and further, among New York City’s black population, abortions outnumber live births three to two (Wilson 2010). Terrifying and sobering statistics such as these led us to learn more about their work. When we first contacted the sisters and shared with them our interest in volunteering at their missions, we received a warm and enthusiastic response followed by a thoughtfully planned schedule of activities we would participate in throughout the week. Once in New York City, the sisters provided us with inspiring, informing, and spiritually transforming learning experiences that we had yet to acquire in medical school. Among the many pearls of wisdom we learned, one message seemed to underlie all of our experiences: as physicians and as people, we need “to do little things with great love.” In the following reflections of four different experiences throughout the week, we hope to share with you the fruit we garnered and its application to us as medical students, but also to healthcare professionals as a whole. We begin by including the Physician’s Prayer—a prayer lived out not only by doctors, but also by all persons serving others, including many we worked with during this experience: © Catholic Medical Association 2013
DOI 10.1179/0024363912Z.0000000004
4
The Linacre Quarterly 80 (1) 2013
Lord, Thou Great Physician, I kneel before Thee. Since every good and perfect gift must come from Thee, I Pray: Give skill to my hand, clear vision to my mind, kindness and sympathy to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift at least a part of the burden of my suffering fellowmen, and a true realization of the rare privilege that is mine. Take from my heart all guile and worldliness, that with the simple faith of a child I may rely on Thee. Amen. (Prayers. St. Luke Society)
REFLECTION 1: I KNEEL BEFORE THEE On the Sunday following our arrival in New York City, we participated in the sisters’ Advent retreat. It was a day of silent reflection and meditation on the meaning of Advent and Mary’s role as the Mother of God. After Morning Prayer and breakfast, a brother from a local monastery shared his meditations on the Annunciation. He spoke of God’s invitation to Mary to carry a son, who would be the Son of the Most High, and Mary’s response of complete acceptance, “… be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Relating this mystery to our lives, Brother Gabriel rhetorically asked, “When God comes to each of us through the Holy Spirit, do we open our hearts to Him? Do we accept His invitations to be His servant?” Following the meditation, we sat in silence and reflected on how our hearts should always be attentive and open to such requests. The silent prayer and reflection lasted for the remainder of the day and provided an opportunity to retreat personally with God. Disconnecting ourselves from our phones, computers, and interaction with others provided us with such a freeing experience that differed drastically from our typical days at school. This detachment reminded us of how our personal relationship with God is the source and summit of the love that drives our future work as physicians. In silence, we disengaged from the chaos surrounding us and retreated to an intimate, loving conversation with God. In silence, we experienced how God speaks to and strengthens us for the tasks He calls us to carry out.
REFLECTION 2: LIFTING
AT
LEAST PART
OF THE
BURDEN
God also called us to service. In Harlem, New York, we helped the Missionaries of Charity serve breakfast to the poor and homeless, providing for some their only meal of the day. While sorting through fruits and cooking the soup, the volunteers prayed the rosary and recited several other prayers. “Make your work a prayer!” a volunteer of thirty years exclaimed. He explained that Mother—referring to Mother Teresa of Calcutta— would always emphasize making your work a prayer so you are doing work with Jesus and for Jesus. Although we busily prepared the meal until minutes before the doors opened, we maintained our focus on the true purpose of this service by taking short breaks to pause in prayer. During the course of the morning, we served well over eighty meals, giving away all the prepared food. To make sure no one went unnoticed or unattended, one of the
5
Editorial
sisters repeatedly told us, “You must watch the people.” It did not take us long to understand how this simple phrase the sister repeated holds important meaning in our interactions with others, especially in the medical field. In medicine, one of the most crucial roles of the healthcare provider is to be attentive to the patient and their needs. Often there are sundry distractions that can take the focus off the patient. The healthcare provider, however, should adopt this simple approach of centering their attention on the patient—not the disease, not the procedure, not the treatment, and not the paperwork. We must watch our patients and listen to their words so that no need goes unaddressed. While working with the Missionaries of Charity, we were reminded that one fundamental element unites all vocations—love. Whether it is serving a morning meal or serving our patients’ health, in each vocation we are showing love to a neighbor in need and working with their best interest in mind. Each of us, volunteers and physicians alike, must take the graces we have received and exercise them in an act of complete subservience to reflect God’s selfless love.
REFLECTION 3: KINDNESS
AND
SYMPATHY
TO
MY HEART
A few days later, while helping at the Expectant Mother Care (EMC) Pregnancy Center in Brooklyn, New York, we witnessed a living example of Mother Teresa’s wise words to do small things with great love. The EMC Center offers prenatal care and counseling for pregnant mothers who want to continue their pregnancy, but need resources and guidance for support. The main counselor at the clinic, Linda, told us that many of the young women who come in for help have had lives marked with countless difficulties and challenges. They go from foster home to foster home in their youth, deprived of the constant source of love and support a family provides. She then explained how many of these young women are “hungry for love,” hungry for kindness, respect, and sincerity of care. To find this acceptance, some young patients may turn to men or gangs to fill the void in their hearts. Helping at this clinic, we learned the importance of taking time with each patient, looking into their eyes, letting them be our only focus, and listening attentively to their concerns, both medical and non-medical. “Doing small things with great love” perfectly describes the goal of this pregnancy center. Linda has formed such strong relationships with her patients that many of the young girls who come in hungry for guidance, support, and love, call her “Mom” and openly share with her their feelings and concerns. Although this center provides mostly basic prenatal care services, the love in which these tasks are performed transforms simple acts into something much more profound. Besides the prenatal resources, these women receive a strong sense of dignity and a lasting impression that they are valued. Linda seeks to understand her patients beyond the surface level and strives to help them obtain what their hearts yearn for, whether that entails a stable companion or an opportunity to secure a job. Watching the interactions between Linda and her patients taught us how simply looking into the patient’s eyes or embracing them with a kind smile gives great meaning to each patient encounter. In practicing medicine, we have the unique opportunity to provide this form of love to patients on a daily basis.
6
The Linacre Quarterly 80 (1) 2013
REFLECTION 4: A PRIVILEGE
AND
HONOR
Our final reflection focuses on an event one afternoon, when we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Mary Marron-Corwin, the director of Newborn Medicine and interim chairman of Pediatrics for Harlem Hospital. Walking into her office, we had little prior knowledge about whom we were meeting, but we quickly found that Dr. Marron was one of the most inspiring female, Catholic physicians we have ever met. Dr. Marron completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at St Vincent’s Hospital in New York City and then went on to fellowship training in neonatalperinatal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City. During her practice, she has received numerous awards, including the US News’s Top Doctors in America.1 We never would have guessed her impressive record of awards in speaking with her; her humility was obvious and the love she has for her patients was clear. We asked Dr. Marron to reflect on being a female, Catholic physician, and she openly shared her experiences for nearly an hour—every point being invaluable. First, she laid out three things to do to be a good Catholic doctor: receive reconciliation regularly, read scripture, and go to daily Mass. She then continued her story, interweaving love and suffering, faith, and humility into every anecdote and recommendation. She spoke of how in this profession, you will be scared and tired: “If you aren’t scared, you are doing something wrong; if you aren’t tired, you are doing something wrong.” She explained how physicians cannot know it all nor do it all, which therein shows a constant reminder of our need for Jesus’ loving strength and guidance. Whenever she struggles with a diagnosis or difficult situation, she turns to prayer, and each time she signs an “MD” behind her name, she makes a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the grace that went into earning this degree. Still, she warned us, there are traps and pitfalls in practicing medicine: “People will treat you like a God because you are a doctor. Power has a corrupting nature, and thus,” she asserts, “it is essential to stay close to God.” While Dr. Marron emphasized how practicing medicine is a rare privilege, she also offered several suggestions for overcoming the inevitable challenges we will face as caregivers. She told us to be joyful in every patient interaction and to understand that in every patient you see, Jesus is living. Practice the “Rule of Benedict” through your ora et labora, she instructed, and balance both prayer and work each day. “And if you think you can substitute one for the other, you are kidding yourself.” She went on to suggest retreating to “your inner cell” daily for strength and peace, practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and silently evangelizing everyone you meet through loving servanthood. Lastly, one of the most powerful pieces of advice she had was that when we feel desolation from God, we should dig in our heels, and ultimately accept complete abandonment in divine providence. CHOOSE WHAT YOU HAVE NOT CHOSEN (SAINT THÉ RÈ SE
OF
LISIEUX)
Overall, the five days spent in New York City with these different groups were spiritually transformative. Here, we saw battle played out between work and family, between the pro-life and pro-choice cultures, and between this world and the next. Inspired by the magnitude of our experiences, we write this article with the prayer that each of you may share in the grace of the Holy Spirit that we knew surrounded us in the people
7
Editorial
we met and opportunities we encountered. Whether reading these experiences inspires you to reflect on how they apply to your spiritual life or to learn more about the Sisters of Life and become a part of their support network, we pray that you may follow the Spirit and more joyfully live out your vocations as doctors, nurses, friends, mothers, and fathers. Dr. Marron emphasized evangelization through humbly serving others noting how when we live out God’s Love, we will “catch” others along the way. With this in mind as you continue your path, do not become disheartened about a long shift or a challenging patient. Joyfully pick up your cross and choose to walk along the path God has laid out for you. It is a blessed one. And no matter what He asks of you, whether great or small, do even the little things with great love. For More Information: If you have any interest in learning more about or supporting the Sisters of Life or EMC Pregnancy Center, please use the following contact information: Sisters of Life- Visitation Mission Center 257 East 71st St New York, NY 10021 (212) 737-0221, (877) 777-1277 EMC Pregnancy Center (718) 596-4300
ENDNOTE 1. New York Magazine has recognized Dr. Mary Marron-Corwin multiple times as one of the Top Doctors in New York and the Consumers Council of America listed Dr. Marron as one of the Top Pediatricians in the US. She has also appeared on EWTN, Lifetime, and Discovery Channel as a neonatal intensivist.
REFERENCES St. Luke Society: The Orange County Guild of the Catholic Medical Association Prayers. Web. Accessed 17 Dec. 2012. http://www.stlukesociety.org/St._Luke_Society_of_Orange_County/ Prayers_for_a_Physician.html. Wilson, J. Where New York’s not proud to lead. New York Post. July 1, 2010. http://www.nypost. com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/where_new_york_not_proud_to_lead_236nyjSL3ZbkCV 5woJqUFJ (accessed 07/19/12).
