The CMDA Student Pulse Podcast

By Bill Reichart, MDivMedicine Health & Fitness Religion & Spirituality Christianity Education Courses

The CMDA Student Pulse Podcast episodes

September 30 Forming People, Not Just Producing Physicians
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
What if medical training isn’t just teaching you how to practice, but quietly shaping who you become? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Danielle Shelton — family physician, lifestyle medicine leader, and educator — to talk about the hidden curriculum of medicine and the culture it reproduces. She makes the case that we can’t keep passing down burnout, competition, and ego and expect a healthy profession, and that Christian physicians are called to model something different: generosity, courage, humility, and collaboration. Along the way we explore why mentorship is stewardship, why depleted physicians can’t care or lead well, and what it means to be faithful within medicine while helping build what doesn’t yet exist. It’s a conversation about formation, calling, and the courage to offer your gifts before you feel fully ready.
24 min
September 16 Thriving in CMDA Local Communities
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
Join John Bayon, Detroit Area Director, Mitzi Roberts, San Antonio Area Director and Corey Whittaker, Triangle NC Area Director join Mike Chupp, CMDA CEO, for an encouraging conversation about the encouraging and challenging ministry to healthcare trainees and professionals in their local areas.
42 min
September 02 Pressed but Not Crushed: Staying Faithful in Modern Medicine
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
How hard is it, really, to follow Christ in medicine today? In this episode, Corey Whittaker — who walks alongside students, residents, and physicians across Raleigh-Durham — gives an unusually honest answer. He names the pressures bearing down on Christian trainees, from moral injury to conscience protections, and tells the truth about the consequences he’s seeing play out. But this isn’t a conversation about despair; it’s about what’s actually working to keep faithful clinicians standing. Tune in for an encouraging, clear-eyed look at faith on the front lines of healthcare.
39 min
August 19 What Dying Children Teach Doctors About Living
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
If God is good and God is provident, why do children die? It’s the question every parent in a pediatric ICU eventually asks — and the one Dr. Dan Falco has spent twenty-five years sitting with rather than answering. In this conversation he makes an unusual claim: that even when a situation seems to argue against God’s goodness, He is still good, still present, still at work. We talk about the stories that nearly broke that conviction, what it means to seek God’s presence in real time, and how students can prepare before their own storm arrives.
35 min
August 12 Tending the Soul in a Productivity-Driven World
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
What happens to your soul when the systems that train you run on efficiency, measurement, and output? Artist and author Bette Dickinson joins host Bill Reichart for a rich and unhurried conversation about spiritual flourishing in a productivity-driven culture — and why the vineyard, not the factory floor, is a far truer image of how God forms us. Bette unpacks the vital difference between bearing fruit and truly flourishing, examines how medical training quietly reshapes our image of God, and offers a life-giving alternative for the student, resident, or healthcare professional who feels like their formation has been hijacked by metrics. Whether you’re running on empty or just sensing that something deeper is missing, this conversation is an invitation to receive the long, patient work of the Vinedresser.
33 min
July 22 What to Do When Nobody Has Trained You to Lead
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
In this CMDA Student Pulse Podcast conversation, Davis Melin sits down with host Bill Reichart to talk about what leadership looks like when you are still in training and don’t yet have the title, experience, or authority you wish you had. Davis shares how trainees can lead from the middle of the team by first learning to lead themselves well, by honoring authority without becoming passive, and by speaking truth with grace when something needs to be said. The discussion also gets practical about the pressures of medical training, the challenge of leading up in real time, and why leadership in a clinical setting matters not only for teamwork and patient care, but also for witness and character. It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation for anyone who wants to become the kind of physician-leader others can trust, follow, and genuinely enjoy working with.
27 min
July 08 The 12-Week Prescription: Scripture, Prayer, and the Soul of a Healthcare Professional
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
What happens when a family medicine physician trained in China, formed in West Africa, and forged in the crucible of American medical residency decides the Church needs to speak more directly into the lives of healthcare professionals? Dr. Carla Da Goia Pinto joins Bill Reichart on the CMDA Student Pulse Podcast to talk about her book Pray Like This — a 12-week Scripture-based prayer devotional written specifically for those who heal for a living. Dr. Pinto brings a word that is equal parts practical and prophetic — and it’s one every medical or dental student, resident, and fellow needs to hear.
35 min
June 24 An Epidemic Hiding in Plain Sight
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
Pornography is one of the most pervasive and least discussed struggles in the church today — and healthcare professionals are far from immune. In this episode, Bill Reichart sits down with Dr. David Staab, a retired general surgeon and CMDA Member Care volunteer, to talk about what no one wants to talk about. Dr. Staab shares why those in the healing professions are uniquely vulnerable to hidden struggles, what he’s actually seeing among students and trainees, why common approaches like informal accountability groups often fall short, and what real transformation looks like when someone finally brings their struggle into the light. If you or someone you know is wrestling silently, this conversation is a place to start.
30 min
June 10 When God Shows Up in the Sickness
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
What if illness wasn’t just something to endure — but a sacred space where God does His deepest work? In this episode, Bill sits down with Dr. Robert Marks, a practicing gastroenterologist, and Dr. Dana Blake, a physical therapist and professor, to discuss their powerful book Crucible of Illness. Together they explore a radical biblical perspective: that life-threatening illness, pain, and suffering are not the end of the story, but a portal through which faith matures and grace is revealed. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a student, a resident or someone walking through your own valley, this conversation will challenge, encourage, and reframe the way you think about suffering, hope, and the God who meets us in the middle of it all.
35 min
May 27 From Trainee to Employed: Setting Yourself Up for Success – Linda Wrede Seaman
by Christian Medical & Dental Associations®
You’ve spent years in training, but are you ready for one of the most important decisions of your career? In this essential episode of CMDA Student Pulse Podcast, host Bill Reichart sits down with Dr. Linda Wrede Seaman to walk through the critical elements every medical and dental trainee needs to understand before signing their first employment contract. Dr. Seaman brings invaluable expertise in helping physicians navigate the complex world of employment agreements. From non-compete clauses and tail coverage to compensation structures and restrictive covenants, she breaks down the fine print that could impact your practice for years to come. Whether you’re a medical student planning ahead, a resident eyeing your first position, or a fellow about to make the leap into practice, this conversation will equip you to ask the right questions, spot potential red flags, and negotiate terms that protect your professional future. Don’t let excitement about your first “real job” lead to costly oversights—tune in to learn what you need to know before you sign on the dotted line.
SHOW NOTES:
35 min

About The CMDA Student Pulse Podcast

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The CMDA Student Pulse Podcast features relevant and engaging conversations on the intersection of life, medicine, and faith. With over 300 medical and dental campuses and is committed to helping…