CMDA and the Christian Academic Physicians and Scientists (CAPS) specialty section recently sponsored a book project—and that book is now available to you in the CMDA Bookstore!

Real Physicians, Real Faith was co-edited by Benjamin Doolittle, MD, and David L. Larson, MD, who are both CAPS members. The book is compromised of the writings of selected Christian physicians, from various domains, who each shared a 2,000-word narrative of how their faith impacts their profession. The contributions include testimonies, impactful moments from their practice or a thought-piece that addresses questions such as: How does your faith influence your medical practice? Is there a patient story that moved you? How do you understand your own faith journey as a healer? The pieces submitted are provocative, thoughtful, personal and well-written.

Real Physicians, Real Faith is modeled after a similar work, Real Scientists, Real Faith, which was published in 2009 and shared the scientist/faith journey of various celebrated scientists from the United Kingdom.

The 25 chapters are separated into one of four categories: The Mission Field, The Bedside, The Church and The Academy, all presenting a wonderful opportunity for the authors to share their stories on a broad platform. Anyone in healthcare on their own faith journey will be interested in the book’s contents—medical students, physicians, chaplains and academics, as well as those curious about Christianity. Real Scientists, Real Faith was well received when published in 2009, and we expect the same with our shared project.

The history behind the genesis of this book is of particular interest. In fall 2024, Dr. Doolittle spent a sabbatical at the Faraday Institute, University of Cambridge. The Faraday is a welcoming community of keen-minded scholars and good-hearted friends. The place is a beehive of activity, with programs for undergraduate and graduate students, churches and even public schools. Their team lectures everywhere from Japan to the United Arab Emirates. They greeted Ben into their midst and challenged him with the most challenging, yet encouraging, ideas.

Several of the Faraday scholars mentioned a deeply influential book, Real Scientists, Real Faith is a collection of essays by Christian Oxbridge scientists who reconcile their faith and their science. They are astronomers, biochemists and physicists of the highest rank. At a time when the “New Atheists” are so popular, and the “Nones” are on the rise, this thoughtful collection provided a refreshing perspective: it is possible to be both a scientist and a Christian.

The collection of stories of this new book is borne from that tradition; yet, perhaps physicians engage in faith a bit differently than the scientist. A scientist beholds the glory of God in the cosmos, the chemical reaction and the microscope. A physician beholds the glory of God in the patient. God’s presence is often experienced in the weeping, the suffering, the grind of the work and even, hopefully, the healing. We rejoice when the patient improves, but we also struggle with our burnout, occasional depression and our failures. Of course, we too are scientists. But we are also human. Because medicine is intensely human, we, as Christian physicians, lean into our faith. What else are we to do? As Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

This book, Real Physicians, Real Faith, germinated in Cambridge and bore fruit through CMDA’s CAPS section. CAPS meets monthly, virtually, to encourage Christian faculty members and equip them in leadership ministry (Luke 4:18). Besides the monthly webinars featuring nationally recognized figures and CMDA members, other CAPS activities include a newsletter (CAPSoul), the CAPS Faith & Medicine Research Sponsorship and Quad Squads. These Quad Squads started in April 2020 and concluded in April 2024; this curriculum-driven initiative facilitated virtual meetings of four CAPS members to learn about each other’s challenges in academic medicine, learn about discipleship and used Scripture to meditate on the attributes of God.

In addition to these activities, the CAPS Writing Lab was initiated in a chance conversation between Andre Cipta, MD, the 2022 first recipient of the CAPS Faith & Medicine Research Sponsorship, and Dr. Doolittle at Dr. Harold Koenig’s annual course on Religion, Spirituality and Health at Duke University. The CAPS Writing Lab provides a forum for members to brainstorm ideas, make goals and support one another in their academic work. When Dr. Doolittle returned from Cambridge, he pitched this project to the lab group, and it immediately rallied. David reached out to CMDA CEO Dr. Mike Chupp, who enthusiastically gave a green light. This collection, we believe, is both the joy of those conversations and the fruit of the Spirit.

Dr. Doolittle, Dr. Cipta, Dr. Chupp and I invited a variety of Christian physicians from different paths to write thoughtful, personal essays about how their faith and medical practice intertwined. Perhaps they were influenced by a patient? A tragic moment in their lives? A grace-imbued rescue? A conflict difficult to resolve? They are a diverse group—surgeons, primary care physicians, missionaries, academics, researchers and even a flight surgeon!

And so, the book has a diversity of stories. Some are intensely personal. Dr. Christine Liu shares about her son who was born with severe hydrocephalus. Dr. Kimbell Kornu writes about his sister who died from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Other stories are more harrowing. Dr. Russell White tells the incredible story of a patient who nearly bled out from a ruptured aorta. How he saved this man is almost too good to be true, but you will have to read Chapter 2 to find out the rest of this unbelievable story. Stories come from the highest echelon of the academy. Dr. Debra Schwinn is a university president and former medical school dean. Dr, Jeannette South-Paul is a Provost and Executive Vice President of a medical school. The authors tell lots of stories of the patients who inspire us, challenge us and deepen our faith. Throughout the book, they share how God has moved in their lives. Dr. John Patrick quotes Anselm of Canterbury, “Credo ut intelligam” (I believe so that we may understand). Perhaps this is the most authentic position. How else can we contend with the suffering of our patients? Our own challenges with grief and trauma?

The co-editors are so grateful for the authentic struggles, the deep faith and the abiding love of these contributors—and also for receiving their manuscripts in the requested six weeks, a miracle in itself!

We are not perfect—far from it. We struggle with our faith. We doubt. We weep. Nevertheless, each of these stories articulate the mystery of God’s power to work in our lives. As co-editors, we hope these stories give witness not to us but to God’s grace. We hope these stories will encourage those on their own journeys, those who ponder how being a Christian and a physician are not contrary to each other but synergistically lead to a flourishing of both.

Purchase Your Copy

You can purchase your copy of Real Physicians, Real Faith in the online CMDA Bookstore at cmda.org/bookstore. We also encourage you to purchase a second copy and share it with a colleague in healthcare.

About the Author

David L. Larson, MD, FACS, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After 27 years, Dr. Larson retired as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2012. Before moving to Milwaukee, he held the position of Surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, from 1979 to 1986, where he served in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery and was the only plastic surgeon at that institution during that period. He is board-certified in otolaryngology and plastic surgery. Dr. Larson has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and three books. His 0.7 FTE “encore career” is being an Accreditation Field Representative for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Dr. Larson has a lifetime commitment to educating medical students, residents, fellows and peers on head and neck cancer, wound care and reconstruction of all body areas. Since retirement, Dr. Larson has been on more than 15 mission trips to China, Lebanon, Northern Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, all related to education in graduate medical education. He is also chairman of CMDA’s Medical Education International (MEI) Advisory Council, and with Kim-Lien Nguyen, MD, PhD, he is co-founder of CMDA’s Christian Academic Physicians and Scientists (CAPS) specialty section. He has been married to Sherry for 48 years and is the father of three children, all of whom graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.