Finding Cures. Saving Children.

By: Natalie Pippin

In the fifth grade, I was the anchor of my school television program, WLPE. In my role, I had the opportunity to help the local television station with the St. Jude telethon. A few weeks before the telethon occurred, I went to the area hospital and filmed a few segments for the telethon. I interviewed a girl my age with Spina Bifida, who faced challenges similar to those of St. Jude patients. I also filmed a segment about rocking chairs that parents used to soothe their sick children. Little did I know then that my relationship with St. Jude was only beginning.

During my last semester of college, I entertained many ideas for post-graduation plans. None of them resonated with my desires for my "year off" like the Fellows Program. I knew that becoming a Fellow would allow me to steward my year by committing myself to growing spiritually, vocationally, socially, and intellectually. When I interviewed with the Memphis program, Bisha mentioned the possibility of landing an internship at St. Jude. For someone aspiring to a career in Pediatric Oncology, getting a job at St. Jude equates to a golfer playing in the Masters. In late July, I learned that my dream would be actualized!

My internship at St. Jude has been nothing short of my grand expectations. I have engaged in patient care, clinical research, and hospital administration. In addition to the experiences that have been personally beneficial, my supervisor has given me ample opportunities to initiate and complete projects that improve the quality of patient care and employee life at St. Jude. For the reciprocal benefit, I am tremendously grateful.

Had my internship been independent of the Fellows program, it would have been great. However, it has been the unique context of continual discipleship through the Fellows program that has made my internship experience superlative. Without the incubator of seminar discussions, roundtable fellowship, and biblical guidance, I would have lacked a sufficient support system for healthily processing through the daily occurrences in my internship. Because of my Fellows internship, I have learned to think Christianly about the medical profession and my own future practice of medicine.

I am already becoming somewhat morose about packing up my desk at St. Jude in a few weeks. But I leave St. Jude with the firm expectation of returning one day, hopefully with a few more credentials, and definitely with a firm biblical framework for understanding and practicing my calling.