As a student, I truly would not have chosen to come without the scholarship covering the cost of registration. It’s a massive blessing to me. NATCON was such an encouraging weekend and something I really needed amongst this busy end of the semester and entering into board studying. When life feels heavy, it is so nice to be surrounded by believers and to be poured into by the topics covered in the lectures. Thank you again!
– 2nd year med student
I deeply value these conferences because they provide an opportunity to reconnect with close friends and engage with both local and national CMDA communities. This year was especially meaningful, as I had the chance to connect with underclassmen from the Montana campus of my school. It was a privilege to encourage them to intentionally build strong communities and invest in friendships that will sustain them through the unique challenges of training.
Additionally, I was able to connect with my future national liaison as I prepare to move to Ohio for residency. This was both encouraging and energizing as I consider how I can stay involved with CMDA in this next season. I am excited about the possibility of connecting with a local chapter in Dayton, and if one is not available, I would be eager to help establish a resident program in the area.
Attending these conferences consistently renews my sense of purpose and reminds me of the strength and depth of the CMDA community—especially for those who actively engage in it. Your generosity makes these experiences possible, and I am truly grateful. – 4th year student
Moving forward, I hope to become more involved with CMDA through missions, research initiatives (potentially serving as a judge), and by encouraging greater resident involvement. I also aspire to give, by God’s grace, what I have received by grace, and to support future attendees as donors have supported me.
– Resident
Attending NatCon the past 2 years has been incredibly impactful. Every time, I am met with the presence of God, good company and new friendships. As an [outgoing graduate,] it was bittersweet to attend my last conference as a medical student. But again, I was met with such an encouraging time through breakout sessions, plenary sessions and even discussions throughout the weekend. In medicine, it is often that I think I am alone in being a Christian Physician, especially being in the military. So coming to NatCon reminds me that many others have walked the path before me and remained steadfast in their faith, and even grown stronger through trials and challenges in walking their purpose. I feel refreshed and renewed, ready to face this new phase of training. So I thank you again, for impacting my life by your wonderful and generous hearts. – 4th year DO student
Throughout the conference, I was surrounded by a community of healthcare professionals and aspiring students who are passionate about integrating faith with the practice of medicine, just as I am. I had the opportunity to learn from inspiring leaders, engage in meaningful discussions, and reflect on what it truly means to care for patients with compassion, integrity, and purpose. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to becoming not only a competent physician, but one who prioritizes human connection and Christ-centered care. During my application process, I was often told that to be an effective physician, I would need to set aside my faith or keep it hidden. Through your support, this conference and the CMDA community have powerfully challenged that idea and shown me the opposite is true. For that alone, I am deeply grateful. I truly believe I am being shaped in a place where my faith and Calling to medicine can work together to serve others and bring glory to God. Your generosity made all of this possible. Attending this conference was not just an educational opportunity – it was a time of renewal, encouragement, and clarity in my calling. I feel incredibly blessed that God has placed a desire in the hearts of people like you to invest in students like me. I am returning to my studies with a deeper sense of purpose and a renewed passion for serving others. Thank you for investing in my journey and in the future of healthcare. I am incredibly grateful for your support and hope to one day pay forward the same generosity that you have shown me.
1st year medical student
Your kindness has made it possible for me to be part of an experience that will strengthen both my medical education and my walk in faith. It is truly a blessing to be supported by healthcare professionals who are committed to integrating faith and medicine. The group I traveled with shared many new memories and heartfelt laughter that I will cherish for a long time! I am incredibly grateful for your encouragement and belief in my journey, and I hope to carry forward the same compassion and service in my future career. – 1st year med student
Thank you so much for the opportunity to go to the 2026 CMDA national convention in Colorado! It was only through the generosity of others that I was able to attend. Between the scholarship and the host family opening up their home in Loveland, I was able to go to the CMDA national convention with minimal financial burden.
It was very encouraging to see so many believers gathered together, and even more encouraging to know that many were practicing physicians. The knowledge that I would not be alone as a Christian physician but will instead be surrounded by so many others was extremely comforting and inspiring to me.
Through the breakout sessions, I got the opportunity to learn from many physicians who were involved with medical missions, one of the reasons I chose to pursue a career in medicine. Hearing from them reminded me of why I went into medicine in the first place, something that I so easily forget in the day to day of school. Not only did I grow personally, I felt like our community of Christians at my medical school grew through the group of four of us attending the convention. We grew closer to each other and know that we will be able to support each other in faith as we continue to go through school together. The convention was also a great opportunity to share my faith with my classmates. Already on our first day back from the conference, I’ve had the opportunity to tell a few non-believers about my experiences over the weekend in Colorado. I feel extremely blessed by the opportunity to have attended this year and am already looking forward to attending next year’s convention.
MS-I
This was my third time attending the National CMDA Convention, and I am amazed at how God has worked differently every time. I’ve been puffed up since matching and receiving all sorts of congratulations, so I went in expecting to benefit from networking with other family physicians and rubbing shoulders with residents. Instead, I was humbled to hear the testimonies of Dr. Lina Abujamra, Dr. Mark Topazian, Dr. Linda Huang, and Dr. Kristin Collier. My heart was moved to surrender the future to God all over again- to be ready if He calls me to missions, to be a disciple-maker in the clinic, and to be constant in prayer. I was encouraged by the stories of providers who stood up for the sanctity of life and didn’t conform to the pressures of the world.
Your generosity meant I got to hear how physicians preserve their identity as Christ-followers first and providers second. As Dr. Huang said, “I am a physician by trade, evangelist at heart”.
And Dr. Abujamra encouraged us that “you will never live an ordinary life if you wake up and choose to follow God every day”.
I was reunited with doctors that I met in Nicaragua and even got to rotate with in 4th year! I feel so encouraged going into residency, prepared to be a light to my peers and partner with God in the healing of all the patients He brings to the clinic.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Healthcare Professionals of the Western Region for generously sponsoring my family and me to attend the CMDA National Convention in Loveland. Your support made it possible not only for us to participate in a meaningful time of fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual growth, but also allowed me the opportunity to present my research alongside other healthcare professionals and students from across the country. I am deeply thankful for your investment in both my professional development and my family, and I truly appreciate your commitment to supporting future physicians who seek to serve Christ through medicine.
2nd year DO student
I was immensely blessed to attend the 2026 CMDA National Convention and am truly so thankful to donors who helped make it possible. Being in my first year of residency, at times there has been some isolation with having to work so much and sometimes have to miss church. It was so encouraging to be spurred on in my faith. I attended a wide variety of sessions, from mentorship, to disparities facing children with disabilities, to end of life conversations in the ICU, to practical tips for family life in medicine. All of them were so equipping in one way or another that will greatly benefit me moving forward. Lastly, I was very encouraged to meet 2 incoming residents that will be coming to Idaho, including one in my program! This was so exciting to know that we will have commonality in Christ and continue to spur each other on. Thank you so much for helping make this possible!
It is truly a blessing to be supported by healthcare professionals who are committed to integrating faith and medicine. The group I traveled with shared many new memories and heartfelt laughter that I will cherish for a long time! I am incredibly grateful for your encouragement and belief in my journey, and I hope to carry forward the same compassion and service in my future career.
OMS-I
The convention came at a timely moment as I prepare to start residency this June, and it was a meaningful time to reflect on my professional direction.
Through conversations with physicians from many different backgrounds, I heard honest stories about working faithfully in healthcare and making career transitions. The teaching and worship were also a great encouragement. Hearing God’s Word applied to the healthcare profession and today’s challenges reminded me what is central—to follow Christ in all that we do. I left the convention spiritually renewed and with a clearer framework for thinking about my vocation.
What I learned from the convention will continue to shape how I live out my faith in the years to come, both in medicine and wherever God may lead.
The conference gave me the opportunity to learn from physicians, students, and leaders who are striving to integrate faith and medicine in a meaningful way. It encouraged me to think more deeply about the kind of healthcare provider and person I want to become. I was reminded that medicine is not only about treating illness, but also about serving others with compassion, humility, and purpose. Beyond the educational sessions, the relationships and conversations I experienced were incredibly meaningful. Being surrounded by people who share similar values strengthened my faith, renewed my motivation, and reminded me that I am not pursuing this path alone.
1st year medical student
Lately the stress and distractions of classes, friendships, and social obligations had started to make our biweekly CMF meetings feel more like another logistical task rather than a source of joy and renewal. I found myself becoming complacent in my relationship with the Lord, and I came into this conference honestly not knowing what to expect. I just went with an open mind, hoping to rediscover some of the excitement and passion for Christ and fellowship that I felt when we first started our group.
From the moment we arrived, I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and kindness shown to us. Our host family welcomed us so generously with lodging, meals, and transportation, despite not even being directly involved in CMDA themselves. Their son, who encouraged them to help, was not even present at the conference. It was such a beautiful reminder of how far-reaching this organization’s impact truly is and how many lives it touches.
It is one thing to attend a medical conference full of healthcare professionals, and another thing entirely to attend a Christian retreat full of believers. But seeing those two worlds come together was incredibly powerful. For the first time, I truly felt understood, seen, and encouraged by people who shared the same values and calling.
Since most of my family are engineers, I have often felt like I have been navigating the healthcare journey on my own. This conference reminded me that I am not alone. One of the greatest gifts of CMDA is the support system it provides, from mentorship and guidance to friendships and encouragement. I left knowing that whatever challenges I face in medicine or in faith, there are people within CMDA who are willing to walk alongside me.
A verse that deeply resonated with me during this trip was Psalm 121:1: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills.” My family says this verse together every night, and over time it had become something I recited without really pausing to reflect on its meaning. But this weekend, especially through the talks on difficult and controversial topics, I was reminded that following Christ will not always be easy or comfortable. I have struggled with how to talk to my non-Christian friends about my faith without fear of offending others or creating conflict. Yet this conference reminded me that my help comes from the Lord, the LITERAL Maker of heaven and earth; if He is for us, who can be against us? It also reminded me that I have an incredible community standing beside me for support and encouragement.
Overall, this trip was deeply inspiring and renewing. It reminded me why my classmates & I started this group in the first place: to be a light on our campus and to glorify God. I came home feeling encouraged, inspired, supported, and loved. I truly could not be more grateful. Thank you again to everyone in CMDA who sponsored us and made this experience possible!
This experience has filled my cup and launched me into residency training with renewed encouragement and purpose. I look forward with gratitude and anticipation to what God has in store for me over the next three years and beyond.
Graduating DO student
I left feeling so encouraged seeing how God’s people are being faithful to their calling in the medical field. Particularly coming from medical school in California, the culture can sometimes feel very stifling of religion or any talk of God, which I think is a very divisive lie that the enemy has planted – knowing that there are so many physicians who have boldly walked this path before me gives me even more confidence that I will be able to follow in their footsteps. We were not promised that the path would be easy, or that it would not be met with resistance… However, I am so much more emboldened to walk that path, and to do so faithfully, with the newfound network I have in CMDA. Thank you very much for making this time of revival and reinvigoration possible for me! I am looking forward to all that God has in store for me in the upcoming year, and would love to share how He ends up moving at next year’s conference! – 4th year MD/PhD student
I was deeply touched and abundantly blessed by warm greetings, deep conversation, and sweet prayer and worship. As a first-year medical student, I was quite hesitant to attend amid many obligations, but I quickly realized that my spiritual cup desperately needed to be filled. During the convention, I was able to reunite with college friends who are now medical students and meet many inspiring and accomplished residents and physicians. Truly, the time flew by before my eyes, but I was utterly amazed by what God could do in just a few minutes of conversation. I saw this so tangibly with my lovely host parents, as we spent car rides and late nights sharing stories of the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives. I’m not sure that I can adequately describe our time together. The Holy Spirit was certainly in our midst, and I remain touched by their genuine care and love extended towards me. With your financial help, I was able to meet so many wonderful people with such beautiful testimonies and servant hearts. Thank you, truly. I arrived dry but left overflowing. Surely the Lord watches over us and works within us in our coming and going. Psalm 121:8.
