Christian Surgical Mentoring

So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what's the point of opening your mouth? There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I don't understand the language, it's not going to do me much good. It's no different with you. Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?
1 Corinthians 14: 9-12 (The Message)

It is no accident that in his epic novel, Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese, starts the story of the making of a surgeon in a Christian mission hospital in Ethiopia. The realities and the context of training make all the difference in the world. We learn not only about surgical education but we experience the rigors of surgical training. There are holy moments in relationships with patients and teachers.

I never had an identified Christian education outside of the church. My wife’s family and her education were closely tied to Christian elementary, secondary and college education. I have been trying to figure out what I missed and particularly how that impacts our time in Kenya where part of the task is to promote Christian surgical education.

One important understanding is the difference between education and training. I think we both had good educations, but I have come to believe that she had better training! What I mean is that training requires examples, repetitions and a community that is living out what it learns. In her case, the Christian community was the infrastructure of her education. That community of faithful teachers had another agenda of training their students; to become faithful Christians in whatever vocation.

What is usually addressed in the education literature is the concept of mentoring. In a recent overview of a model of resident mentoring, Davis and Nakamura, outline the components of successful mentoring. The goals are to impact the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the resident. More specifically they want residents to develop into competent, reflective and creative physicians. This analysis is helpful but misses the point of the narrative truth uncovered by Abraham Verghese. It is about those holy moments and relationships that have their basis in a common faith in Jesus Christ. This is Christian surgical mentoring.

This Christian surgical mentoring maybe the best way to think about what we will be doing when we get to Kenya. This idea is more of a partnership than the master/apprentice paradigm and is based on the reality of the Christian community and the mission of Christian surgery at Kijabe Hosptial.

Marvin