During spring break many students head south for warmer climates to rest and relax. Cathie Scarbrough, a May 2000 Union graduate, headed for warmer weather during her spring break but for a very different reason. She was part of a 40-member team of students and doctors that traveled to El Salvador in March on a medical mission trip sponsored by the Christian Medical and Dental Association.

“I really didn’t think I would be able to contribute very much,” laughs Scarbrough as she reflects on the experience. “Each student was I paired with a doctor and by the end of the week we were getting real hands-on experience.” She was also able to brush up on her Spanish as she worked with translators.

Treating physical problems was not the only aspect of the trip. “In addition to treating them physically, we had the opportunity to spend spiritual time with each patient, telling them about God,” recalls Scarbrough. “It was worth the effort to see people accept Christ.”

Combining medicine and mission work is what she wants to do with her life. “My senior year in high school I felt God calling me to medical missions,” she explains. According to Scarbrough, Union played an integral role in preparing her not only for medical school but also for life.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Medical Leaders
From the jungles of South America to the sprawling American cities, Union is preparing tomorrow’s medical leaders to change the world. With an acceptance rate of almost 100 percent at medical schools like the UT Health Science Center in Memphis, more and more Union students are achieving success. That success is a direct result of efforts by the Union pre-med faculty who genuinely care about their students.

When Jeff Jones, another May 2000 graduate from Jackson, Tenn., was accepted to the UT Heath Sciences Center School of Medicine in Memphis he felt it was a direct result of Union’s strong academic foundation and reputation.

“The professors at Union know what it takes to succeed in medical school,” explains Jones. “They are here [at Union] not because they simply choose to be, but because they feel it is their calling.”

Like his professors, Jones also feels a sense of calling. “You don’t choose to be a doctor simply because you want to practice medicine,” he explains. “You choose medicine because nothing else will make you happy.”

It was as an undergraduate that Jones’ calling to the medical field was reaffirmed. During that time he watched his father battle cancer. The illness influenced his choice to defer medical school for one year in order to stay near his father. As the months passed, interaction with his father’s doctors and a job in a local clinic revealed to him what a difference a caring medical professional can make.

It was also during this difficult time that the professors at Union became more than just teachers, they became friends. That is one of the most unique aspects of a Union education that Jones feels his medical school counterparts from other universities missed.

“Union is a sheltering and nurturing place that allows you to grow spiritually as well as intellectually,” says Jones. “You need both aspects to survive the long, hard task of medical school.”

“Union did a great job of preparing me academically,” agrees Scarbrough. “Courses like Dr. Huggins’ gross anatomy class exposed me to ideas that I have encountered in medical school. I didn’t understand everything in the undergraduate class but it was familiar once I encountered it the second time.”

Union also provides more guided freedom to explore the tough questions encountered in the world of science, says Jones. “Because you know the professors personally you feel comfortable going to their office with questions. It really makes their day.”

Scarbrough echoed the same feeling. “I grew intellectually, spiritually and personally while I was at Union,” she explains. “I always knew I could stop by a professor’s office any time to talk about class or to just pray with them about a personal challenge.”

She recalled discussing with Dr. Charles Baldwin her desire to study abroad. With his encouragement and assistance, she was selected as a recipient of the International Rotary Ambassador Scholarship which allowed her to study at the University of Sussex in England for a year. She earned her master’s degree in medicinal chemistry, a 12-month program that she completed in just ten months.

“It was a departure from the small, Christian environment that I was used to having at Union,” she says. “It was a culture shock at first and I could not have survived without God.”

She was the only native English speaking resident in her lab and home, which introduced her to many different cultural backgrounds. It also gave her an opportunity to be a witness.

“I went to church every Sunday and didn’t say certain words, so my house mates knew I was different,” says Scarbrough. She recalled how that led to opportunities to share her faith in a non-threatening way. She recalled one such opportunity when she had a religious discussion with a Roman Catholic and Muslim roommate. “I learned that you can discuss religious differences and share Christ while remaining friends.”

Union faculty also played a large role in encouraging her while abroad. The weekly e-mails from the pre-med faculty as well as several others made her realize how much they cared about her not only as a student but also as a friend.

After returning from England, Scarbrough entered medical school where she is now preparing for a career in family practice, which will allow her to help the broadest amount of people. Where she practices medicine is God’s decision, but she is willing to go.

The field of medicine is changing before our very eyes. Despite all the changes, Scarbrough feels that she and other Union graduates have insight into the one thing that will never change.

“No matter what changes occur, you have to love people,” she says. “As a doctor you will see humankind at its best and worst. Compassion is what is needed now and for the future.”