When medicine and faith intersect

As an adolescent medicine physician, I’ve been monitoring the political scene and changes put forth by the Trump administration that affect the medical arena. Many of the administration’s changes have been concerning to me because they seem to affect the most vulnerable populations in our country, particularly women, poor, and low-income or LGBTQ patients. I am disappointed with the administration’s latest attempts to use faith as an excuse to deny patients care, including contraception, abortion care, or other necessary services. Not because I practice medicine in the “blue” state of California, but because I practice medicine with my religious principles in mind.

The development of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services counters the basic tenets of the ethical practice of medicine. My colleagues and I have all taken the oath to “first, do no harm,” and this division encourages the diminishment of that oath. The Conscience and Religious Freedom Division “protects” those who refuse to provide necessary health care to those who contradict their moral and religious beliefs. This could have detrimental effects on the provision of medical services to those who need it most; primary care for the LGBTQ community, contraceptive care, and abortion care can all fall into this terrifying slew of services that patients may now be denied.

In reflecting on my own experiences, I know that I have not had the most “traditional” journey into medicine.It’s been long and full of change, with the occasional unexpected hurdle. Yet it has all been manageable because of my religion and morals—all instilled in me by my upbringing.

I spent my early childhood in the Middle East, in a Catholic household. My family came to the United States just as I was starting elementary school. Our family’s dedication to our faith shaped the way my mother and father parented. They are the people who taught me right and wrong, and who instilled in me the “golden rule”—treat others how you expect to be treated. Another important teaching my parents passed on to me through our faith is, “only God can judge.” These two tenets of Catholicism bring me peace and actually take pressure off my medical decision making. It is not my place to justify why someone may need, for example, contraception or abortion; I only need to provide them access to such services.

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