- Joined
- Dec 12, 2006
- Messages
- 2,974
- Reaction score
- 3,472
I'm not trying to be controversial or stir up the pot here, but this is a topic I've been wondering about a lot lately and would appreciate any advice or first-hand experience anecdotes.
I'm a new 3rd year medical student (taking boards in a few weeks, eek!), father of 2, and a devout pro-life Catholic. I'm interesting in Ob/Gyn for a number of reasons, but am a bit scared by the dominant pro-choice mentality of the profession. ACOG has been particularly vociferous about it's pro-choice stance for instance. I know that once I'm done with residency I'll have the freedom to practice medicine in the manner I feel is most morally correct, but as a resident you are under the control of other physicians/offices/hospitals. Has anyone here had a problem with a superior dictating what you must do? And has anyone suffered because of their refusal?
I make a point of knowing the laws that protect my beliefs, but frankly they only do so much. The laws for protecting conscience rights don't have any teeth to them, and I'm acutely aware of how a bad word from the attendings or residents can sink your career goals.
I'm doing my clinicals, and plan on doing my Ob/Gyn residency, at a Catholic hospital. I've already informed the DME of my religious objections to certain procedures as is necessary by law to be protected. Beyond that there isn't much I can do right now.
For clarification, I won't prescribe contraceptives (for the purpose of contraception) or perform, recommend, or refer for abortions. I'm pretty sure the abortion thing won't be much of an issue, but I forsee the contraception thing being a stumbling block with many people.
Again, I'm not really trying to get into the whole pro-choice/pro-life argument here, but rather am looking for advice or anecdotes from people in this situation or who deal with this situation. Thanks in advance for your help!
I'm a new 3rd year medical student (taking boards in a few weeks, eek!), father of 2, and a devout pro-life Catholic. I'm interesting in Ob/Gyn for a number of reasons, but am a bit scared by the dominant pro-choice mentality of the profession. ACOG has been particularly vociferous about it's pro-choice stance for instance. I know that once I'm done with residency I'll have the freedom to practice medicine in the manner I feel is most morally correct, but as a resident you are under the control of other physicians/offices/hospitals. Has anyone here had a problem with a superior dictating what you must do? And has anyone suffered because of their refusal?
I make a point of knowing the laws that protect my beliefs, but frankly they only do so much. The laws for protecting conscience rights don't have any teeth to them, and I'm acutely aware of how a bad word from the attendings or residents can sink your career goals.
I'm doing my clinicals, and plan on doing my Ob/Gyn residency, at a Catholic hospital. I've already informed the DME of my religious objections to certain procedures as is necessary by law to be protected. Beyond that there isn't much I can do right now.
For clarification, I won't prescribe contraceptives (for the purpose of contraception) or perform, recommend, or refer for abortions. I'm pretty sure the abortion thing won't be much of an issue, but I forsee the contraception thing being a stumbling block with many people.
Again, I'm not really trying to get into the whole pro-choice/pro-life argument here, but rather am looking for advice or anecdotes from people in this situation or who deal with this situation. Thanks in advance for your help!