VCOM Auburn Yearbook 2020

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

CMDA Christian Medical and Dental Association Carol Ann Gibbs, President; Kiersten Nielsen, Vice President; Wesley Hostetler, Secretary; Sam Flagg, Treasurer; Steven Presley, MD, Faculty Advisor

C hristian Medical and Dental Association motivates, educates and equips Christian healthcare professionals to glorify God by serving with professional excellence as witnesses of Christ’s love and compassion to all people. CMDA also advances biblical principles of healthcare within and outside the Church. The role of CMDA at VCOM-Auburn is to provide students with a healthy and encouraging environment away from the rigors of academic medicine, all focused on sharing the Gospel with students in the community. There are many local physicians actively involved in the organization that are a great resource for students. To kick off the year, CMDA hosted a Back to School Bonfire for students and their families. CMDA provided smores, music and drinks for students, who were able to spend time talking around the fire. Approximately 40 students attended this event, along with a few faculty members. Once a week, CMDA hosts a Bible study at a local physician’s home. This is a great chance for people to listen to a passage from the Bible, hear someone break down what the passage means and have small group discussions among peers. These events are crucial for spiritual well-being and fellowship, allowing a time of rest and introspection for busy medical students. Every Monday morning, a group of about 20 VCOM students meet together to pray in small groups. By starting the week off with a focused time of prayer, spiritual lives are enriched and members can better deal with the stresses provided by medical school. Once a block, CMDA sponsors a dinner with an invited guest speaker. At the October CMDA dinner, the guest speaker was Dr. Stephen Presley, a hospitalist from EAMC. He shared the importance of Christianity to balance life and school. For the November CMDA dinner, a full thanksgiving meal was served to all the students. The guest speaker was Dr. Dell Crosby, an emergency medicine physician local to the Auburn area. He is the founder and director of the Mercy Medical Clinic in Auburn. He shared many stories about how Christ has impacted his life, both personally and professionally. The January guest speaker was Dr. Rick Donlon, a physician based in Memphis, TN, who has started a non-profit hospital and clinics in economically poor parts of Memphis. He spoke of the importance of providing healthcare to all people, regardless of status and economic ability. He also challenged attendees to set aside American cultural ideals that drive physicians to be self-serving and to follow Christ’s example of service and healing.

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