A Closed Door, an Open Wall: How Bold Faith and Loss Led Drs. Oishi & Tam to Greater Kingdom Impact
This week on CMDA Matters, we’re honored to share the remarkable story of Drs. Andy Oishi and Laurie Tam, a husband-and-wife team serving through healthcare and ministry in Hawaii and the Pacific basin. After boldly publishing an editorial affirming the sanctity of life, Dr. Oishi faced unexpected professional loss, leading them into a season of uncertainty and hardship. Yet through every closed door, God opened greater opportunities for Kingdom impact—far beyond what they had imagined. Their journey is a powerful reminder that bold faith, resilience, and obedience can turn even the hardest seasons into stories of extraordinary purpose and hope.
Listen now for encouragement and inspiration in your own faith journey!
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And today (May 1), as we kick off the 2025 CMDA National Convention, we’re especially reminded of the power of community and the beauty of coming together with over a thousand Christian healthcare professionals to be renewed in purpose, sharpened in truth, and strengthened in faith and knowledge.
If you’re joining us in St. Charles—welcome! We’re so glad you’re here with us. And if you’re tuning in from afar, don’t forget that virtual access is still available so you can be part of the main sessions from wherever you are.
We’re grateful to Samaritan’s Purse and Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine for helping make this gathering possible. We have an amazing lineup of speakers and we’re offering over 10 hours of CE and 50+ breakout sessions!
If you’re in St. Charles, stop by the CMDA Member Experience booth during the convention—we’d love to meet you in person, hear your story, and share what’s happening at CMDA. Plus, we’d love to hear what topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes of the podcast.
For more than 90 years, we have pursued one goal—to bring the hope and healing of Christ to the world through healthcare professionals. Through more than 40 programs including campus and community ministries, healthcare missions, public policy and much more, CMDA continues to be a driving force in healthcare—enriching hundreds of thousands of lives each year.
Thank you for considering how you can help bring the hope and healing of Christ to the world through your CMDA. Please let us know how we can serve you as you plan your gift. [email protected]
Meet Our Guest(s):
Andrew (Andy) Oishi and Laurie Tam, MD, FACP
Andy Oishi is a general surgeon who lives in Honolulu Hawaii. He is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and recently retired from clinical practice. He is a member of the Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and a volunteer with World Medical Mission and the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). He is also the new Area Representative for Polynesia for the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA). He and his internist wife, Laurie, are campus advisors with the CMDA medical student ministry at the University of Hawaii and have 2 adult children.
Laurie has been a CMDA member since her first year at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (UH JABSOM). After couples matching with her classmate/husband Andy Oishi and completing residency and fellowship in Minnesota, she returned to live and work in Honolulu as an internist and assistant professor of medicine at her alma mater. She and Andy serve as faculty advisors for the CMDA medical student ministry at their alma mater. When not working at UH JABSOM or serving with CMDA, church or other ministries, she loves traveling and exploring the world with her husband and two adult children.
