Baptist Health Sciences University and CMDA Memphis, a local chapter of the Campus and Community Ministries of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, hosted “A Conversation About Faith and Medicine” with Dr. Francis Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Feb. 13.
Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) students and other attendees gathered in the Groner Auditorium on the university’s campus for the virtual presentation from Collins, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Collins discovered genes for several diseases and led the Human Genome Project. He is a Christian who believes science and religion complement each other.
“I was introduced to Dr. Collins’ work in college, and I’ve appreciated his thoughtfulness at the intersection of faith and science,” said Caleb Luk, a second-year BUCOM medical student and CMDA student representative who helped organize the event. “In a prior interaction with Dr. Collins, he answered a question of mine in a way that stayed with me. This inspired me to reach out and invite him to speak with us. I’m grateful he was willing to give his time and be a blessing to my classmates and others in the Memphis community. His message was candid and hopeful, marked by an earnest desire to equip those of us studying medicine for a life of service.”
Collins talked to students about the importance of embracing mistakes as an intrinsic part of being a scientist and a doctor. He advised learning from mistakes rather than running away from them. He also emphasized the importance of listening to patients.
Joshua McCoy, a second-year medical student at BUCOM who helped organize the event and serves as president of the campus chapter of CMDA, said, “The thing that stood out to me the most about Dr. Francis Collins’ talk is that we should remain curious about others and listen to understand, not to always correct those who have different opinions than ours.”
