Liberty University reached an important milestone this fall with the opening of the Center for Medical and Health Sciences and the arrival of our first class of student doctors in the new Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM). Though a medical school was always a part of our long-term vision, we gained the footing we needed to see the project through to completion just a few years ago. Now the building is a bustle of activity as some of the country’s best doctors train students to become excellent physicians who will rise up to meet our nation’s health care needs.
We celebrated this milestone during a dedication on Aug. 22, where I recognized several individuals who were sent our way to help in this endeavor, including Dr. Ronnie Martin, LUCOM’s dean. He had been the founding dean of another school of osteopathic medicine, and we knew he possessed the knowledge and skills necessary to make our dream a reality. Most importantly, though, he shared our vision. I reiterated a portion of a speech Dr. Martin gave to his inaugural class at its White Coat Ceremony a few weeks earlier:
“This is a faith-based institution with a Christian worldview. You will hear that a lot — that faith and worldview will be reflected in these manners. It will be reflected in how we act more than what we say. I tell people that my ministry over the last 35 years has been my practice of medicine — what I have done for people. We’re not going to teach you apologetics or theology. We have a great seminary and School of Religion on campus if you want to learn more about that. I am not a theologian, but I am here to teach you to be the best physicians you can be. Our faculty is also here to be role models and mentors to help you become a quality, faith-based individual and the best osteopathic physician possible — the type of quality individual that patients want. I know it’s trite, but patients really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. They want to be treated as individuals.”
At the dedication, I explained that Dr. Martin, with that one statement, beautifully summarized my vision for all of Liberty University. We aim to train young people to go into every profession with the highest level of competence and the values that compel them to use their talents and abilities to serve others. His statement also echoed the teachings of Jesus to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He practices that in his own life, making frequent trips to Guatemala to provide medical assistance to those most in need. Dr. Martin is just one example of our dedicated faculty and staff who view their positions at Liberty as not just a job, but a calling. He has a true servant’s heart and we are blessed to have him here as an example for our students as they train for their future careers and lives of service to others as Champions for Christ.
