Leroy Barber's Blog
A Different Kind of Doctor / 06.15.09, 01:20 PM
John was a team member in Mission Year five years ago. He came to Atlanta just after finishing at the Philadelphia School of Pharmacy. John felt a call to serve and live out his faith in the midst of discerning where his life and career path would lead him.
John has a strong family tradition that values education and faith. He was excited to serve in Atlanta but also felt pushed to further his education. John’s family had always believed that he would be a doctor; John felt this pressure but wanted to be sure that this was what he should do before pursuing a medical degree. After arriving at Mission Year, he began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and helped prepare homes for low income families in Atlanta. While serving with his team, John coached sports, worked in after-school programs and served the homeless near his downtown Mission Year home. John had a great team and a wonderful year, and his passions for Jesus and people grew while serving. As the end of the year approached, John decided that his year was going so well that he would stay in Atlanta and continue loving and serving his neighbors.
I was the city director when John did Mission Year, and part of the role of city directors is to meet once a month with each team member individually. As John’s year progressed, he wrestled more and more with his call. Habitat for Humanity was a great organization, but it didn’t strike a chord with his passions and gifts. Perhaps God could use John’s gift for academics and his passion for people. We began to talk about medical school and his call to be a doctor. Perhaps his parents’ dream had been the beginning of God’s process of calling John, and Mission Year was the place to help confirm it.
John applied to Morehouse School of Medicine because he was interested in going to a school where healthcare for the poor is a priority. Their mission statement reads: Morehouse School of Medicine is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities; increasing the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce; and addressing primary health-care needs through programs in education, research, and service, with emphasis on people of color and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia and the nation. It was the perfect match. After Mission Year, John spent the following years attending Morehouse and staying active in his community in Atlanta. He graduated this May and will soon begin a residency in Tulsa.
John is a doctor that has a heart for the poor, a follower of Jesus that uses his call to serve the world. He is a different kind of doctor. When Mission Year was started twelve years ago, the philosophy was for team members to give a year that would change the way they looked at life. “If you’re going to be a doctor, you can still be one – but you will be a different kind,” were the words of Tony Campolo, one of the founders of Mission Year. It is good to see team members live out this vision. Please keep supporting these young people as they begin to discern and connect to God’s call on their lives.
With Love, Appreciation and Thanks,
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