It is my practice that gives me a platform to reach people who would never walk through a church door. I see myself as a missionary and, incidentally, a health professional. Determining how to live in light of eternity kept Dr. Scott Strum in medicine. As a fourth year student frustrated with the government's growing control of health care, and having trouble finding his niche, Scott felt uncertain about his future. I doubt that I would have considered staying in medicine if I had not had the experience of seeing people come to Christ.
Physicians routinely ask a series of questions to make diagnoses.
By asking questions and, therefore, respecting the patients' autonomy, the physician remains ethically, professionally and biblically sound. I cannot deal with one aspect of a person's health and ignore the other issues. It is very natural for me to incorporate all that is relevant to my patient care. But even after years of training, most medical professionals have never witnessed a Christian physician integrate his faith with his field. Afterward, the visiting doctors actually go out and practice the spiritual inventory in an approved, local hospital.