Surviving House-Years book
The early years as a junior are often tough: after the relative safety of student life, suddenly the ‘rubber hits the road’. Maintaining Christian vitality and standing up for Christ is more difficult than ever in the face of long hours, shift work, and little time to spend with family and friends. But surviving is essential: if we struggle in these crucial years we may lose our faith completely. So enter the ‘Surviving the House years’ book - topic based, A-Z format, testimonies, Bible verses...... Aiming to cover a wide range of issues relevant to us as juniors such as relationships, finances, loneliness and mission. Would you like to be involved? We want to try and get lots of different people to contribute to it, juniors and seniors, from the UK and overseas. Let the CMF office know if you have any ideas for topics you want to see covered, or if you would like to be involved in writing a short testimony or article.
ICMDA European Conference
Eight CMF UK students joined around 250 students and junior doctors for the preconference of the ICMDA European Conference in Krelingen, Germany on 5-8 September. This was followed by the main conference with around 600 from over 50 countries. John Wyatt (UK), John Patrick (Canada), Pablo Martinez (Spain) and Chris Steyn (Holland) gave excellent teaching at the preconference. Students testified to being inspired by this and by meeting such a range of students from varying situations and countries, all following the same Lord and seeking to serve him in medicine.
We made good contacts in a number of countries where we have previously had few links, especially France. There was also the first real meeting of a good number of ICMDA Area Student Reps from across Eurasia. It was a great time of feedback and brainstorming for developing this network of students and junior doctors who support student movements across the world.
Sharing our faith
How do we reach out to our friends, colleagues and patients with the good news of the Gospel when our conversations with them are usually about one of the range of lifestyle issues or decisions that we’re all facing, rather than about the claims of Christianity? In our post-modern society we need to find a way to introduce Jesus into these conversations about relationships, buying a house, career plans etc, and show that Christianity is relevant to all areas of our lives. We’re in the process of developing material that we will introduce at a juniors day conference in Birmingham on Saturday 12 March to help us do better in sharing our faith in this way, including case scenarios and role plays. If you’re interested in joining us then watch this space.
Surgical Careers Day
Which speciality should I go into? What about a period overseas? When should I do research? Just some of the questions that we ask as juniors when we’re trying to plan our careers. Career guidance is often not easily available though, so we’re interested in putting on a Careers Day to look at some of these issues with a range of experts within a speciality, including addressing issues particular to us as Christians. We’d also like it to attract our non-Christian colleagues, helping to address a need they have, and bringing them into contact with Christians and the difference our worldview makes to our lives. We’re planning to start with a surgical Careers Day, with others to follow. Details to follow....
Sarah Germain
Beyond the Bleep – Reflections on the national Juniors’ conference
After a long week in the hospital as a PRHO, getting used to the environment where constant demands are placed on juniors, with long working hours, it was a great opportunity for me to leave the hectic schedule and spend time with God, learning his Word and to spend time with other Christian junior doctors.
About 100 of us gathered on 10-12 October at Hothorpe Hall, Northampton from all over UK and overseas. It was a real privilege to be with doctors who came from South Korea, India, Sudan and Burma who are sitting their PLABs in the UK and to support them in our prayers, and others who traveled from Germany, Hungary to be with us this weekend.
Chris Lambert, SpR in Anaesthetics, gave the conference talks on Philippians, focusing on problems particular to junior doctors in a hospital setting. The apostle Paul’s identity was not based in his status, abilities or achievements or experience, but on Christ (3:1-11). Jesus came to earth taking the form of a servant and calls us to follow in his footsteps. It is difficult to be ‘servants’ as doctors, but Philippians 2 reminds us that we are here for the benefit of others and not ourselves. Finally we are called into authentic Christian relationships with one another (1:3-5). Even if we have nothing in common, we are called to live out God’s grace and to nurture and be committed to each other, as we share the gospel.
The conference was a great opportunity to spend time with God and with each other, to pray for each other, to recover from our hectic schedules and also to grow as Christians. Please pray especially for other juniors abroad:
- Myanmar
Eugenia Lee
