Following Jesus in medicine

Surviving the curriculum, advancing the kingdom and living a life with meaning

Leadership Training for Christian medical students

ICMDA Central Europe
23.-26. April 2010
adjacent to the Austrian medical students’ and junior doctors’ conference MEDKong'10
at Schloss Klaus, Austria

Download PDF-info-flyer here

As a young medic, you are presumably very busy: Studying medicine or working as a junior doctor is a fascinating but exhausting thing to do. There are loads of books to study, many difficult exams to pass, countless papers of research to explore and a demanding job waiting for us. And being a Christian doesn’t make it a lot easier. As Christians, we even ask more questions about right or wrong when we assess medical decisions and ethical attitudes. You might even put more effort into helping your patients in every thinkable way – and besides, you are involved in church as well. You may sometimes ask: "Is it worth it? What is my point to make?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. – So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: …“ (Joshua 1,9)

Despite all doubts and mistrust, Joshua was called to lead Israel into the Holy Land. He found confidence by trusting in the Lord and became a leader for the people around him. Does God call us to follow him in medicine? Would he want us to advance his kingdom just where we are? Should I be a leader for others around me?

In these four days of leadership training, we want to exchange ideas about how to tackle medicine and how to follow Jesus at the same time. All personal and medical areas of our lives can be filled with hope and confidence from above! In building fellowships of Christians in medicine, in organising conferences, in making our voice heard and in praying together we can find ways to grow and bear fruit in our hospitals and universities.

The leadership training is framed around the second ever Austrian students’ and junior doctors’ conference MEDKong'10 (23.-25.4.10), where Prof John Wyatt (Neonatologist, London, UK) will be one of the main speakers on the topic: “Worthy-life : Worthless-life - Who defines the value of life?”

In special sessions during the conference and especially on the following Monday (26.4.10), we will discuss practical steps of how to launch and lead Christian medical groups in different countries of Central Europe. In our bible readings, we will explore how Joshua was called to be a leader and traded doubts and hindrances into hope and strength. In seminars and small groups we will share our personal experiences and learn about ways to reach out to others.

This training is especially designed for medical students and recent graduates who have a desire to see God at work in their faculties and are willing to take leadership roles in their countries. We look forward to seeing you at the ICMDA Leadership Training for Central Europe with around 25 other students from Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic!

Yours,
Dr Christopher Gerken (ICMDA Area Student Representative for Central Europe)
Dr James Tomlinson (ICMDA Eurasia Regional Secretary), and
Matthäus Fellinger (ARCHAE Austria)

Leadership Training specific program

Sunday, 25.4.2010

• 15:30 LT Bible reading I
• 16:45 LT Workshop I
• 18:00 Dinner
• 19:30 News, Praise and Prayer

Monday, 26.4.2010

• 8:00 Breakfast
• 9:15 LT Workshop II
• 11:00 LT Workshop III
• 12:15 Lunch
• 13:30 LT Workshop IV
• 15:00 LT Bible reading II
• 16:30 Fare well

Leadership Training Workshops

1. Building up local Christian medical groups
2. Organizing national conferences or summer camps
3. Reaching out with the gospel to fellow students, colleagues and patients
4. Sustaining newsletters, websites, email lists and other publications

Cost incl. accommodation and all meals

* Students from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia: 35€
* Junior doctors from Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia: 69 €
* Students from Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland: 95 €
* Junior docs from Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland: 145 € (payment on arrival)

Financial matters shouldn’t hinder your coming!!! We might have some bursaries on assistance: please ask Christopher Gerken (christopher.gerken@web.de) for details.

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