While studying for my medical board exam, I was pondering the wonders of life and the role of a physician, which led me to explore the meaning of “true physician” through Bible study. I realized that a true doctor should not only treat the body, but also heal the soul and mind of the patient. I reflected on the role of a doctor who harmoniously practices scientific treatment and religious teachings, and I believe that a true doctor helps patients from a holistic perspective.
As I studied biology and human physiology for the medical board exam, I was filled with awe for life, and on the other hand, I thought that the doctor is a miraculous profession that saves this mysterious human body from death and suffering. I wondered if the profession of a doctor could be practiced in a scientific and rational manner. This kind of problem led me to the Bible study. In this article, I will discuss the contents of the Bible study, which has been going on for about six months now, about ‘life and death’ and ‘what kind of doctor is a true doctor’, which are the most important topics for my dream doctor.
Let’s take a deep breath of these teachings on life and death and think about life as a doctor. The job of a doctor is to treat sick people and save them from suffering and sometimes death. A true doctor, then, is one who treats sick people ‘well’. It seems so simple, clear, and flawless. But what does it really mean to treat someone well? If you’re a surgeon, you’d expect to perfectly resect the cancerous area and cure it, and if you’re a doctor, you’d expect to prescribe the right medication at the right time, monitor the patient’s condition closely and frequently, and cure the patient with minimal side effects.
However, as I learned the words of the Bible, there was a gap that was clearly visible to me. I realized that I needed to treat the patient’s soul and heart. I can’t fully describe it because I haven’t battled a near-death illness myself, but imagine a patient who is battling against death’s door. A patient with terminal cancer who has been given all kinds of chemotherapy drugs, surgical procedures, and therapies, and who has spent months or years in the intensive care unit, where just lying still is considered heavy labor. Suppose I, a highly skilled doctor, am able to save his life. Can this patient truly be happy? He or she has put everything into this battle, and may feel a certain amount of guilt for having to share his or her pain for so long, for having to tell friends and family that if he or she had died easily, they would have gone on with their lives after a short period of grief, and there would be a sense of loss because no matter how healthy he or she gets, he or she will never be the same person again. In other words, the soul and heart are likely to be wounded during the long battle.
If I am a “true doctor,” a doctor who treats patients “well,” I must be able to touch their wounded souls as well. I always try to think about the person behind the physical body and listen to their inner pain, and I give my full attention to each person. We need to be doctors who look at patients from a holistic perspective, treating the whole person, not just the disease.
As doctors, we need to go beyond simply understanding the human body as a biological machine and consider the patient’s whole life and their emotional and psychological needs. This requires a deep understanding and empathy for people that goes beyond mere medical knowledge. According to the teachings of the Bible, I should often come to the bedside of a patient who seems hopeless, kneel down and pray, ‘God, help this person to go to heaven…’ But I must remember that I am a doctor, not a pastor. The Bible says that our 100 years on earth is a time of preparation for our eternal life in the heavenly world. Why should a physician hold on to a patient who is about to leave the body and go to the heavenly world, a patient who is gasping for death, to live as long as possible on earth? What right do I have to say to a patient, “I know it’s hard, but you have to live!”?
This is the possibility of repentance. The Bible teaches that in order to go to heaven, one must repent and leave their past. I may be a doctor, but I don’t know what the patient’s life has been like, and it’s not my business to know. However, there is no one who has lived a life that has nothing to be ashamed of before God. With the power of the doctor, this may be the will of God, but if you are raised from the dead, you must truly repent and live a right life, a beautiful life. I think it is the attitude of a doctor who actively practices the words of the Bible that makes this possible.
However, as a Catholic, I still don’t agree with the idea of forcing the patient to go to church, giving them a Bible and indoctrinating them. I guess this is because of my tendency to reject exclusivism and seek diversity in religion. I think it is enough if a patient lives a right life, a life of conscience without shame under heaven, no matter what religion he believes in, or even if he has no religion at all. If he is able to live a good life again and contribute a little to the restoration of the health of our society, then I will be a true doctor.
On my path as a doctor, I will face many challenges. I must not forget that it is just as important to understand and help patients with their psychological pain and soul wounds as it is to treat their physical ailments. I believe that this holistic view of patients and helping them is the true path of a doctor. And to walk this path, I will continue to learn and grow, and strive to be a true doctor who empathizes with patients’ pain and touches their souls.
