MBP Reflection
Long before she arranged to do a brief rotation with Tepeyac OB/GYN, medical student M.B.P. had a received a strong and favorable impression of Dr. Bruchalski and his work. Here, she shares what her rotation with Tepeyac taught her about the possibility of practicing pro-life medicine even now, in a world that continues to oppose such caregiving at every turn.
“I have been familiar with Dr. Bruchalski and Tepeyac Center for several years now. When I was a student at Georgetown University School of Medicine and was involved in the Medical Students for Life organization, Dr. Bruchalski came and gave a powerful talk on his change of heart regarding abortion to me and a roomful of my peers; it was definitely one of the best lectures we ever sponsored. The following year I had the privilege of rotating through Tepeyac Center for a couple of days. My time there reinforced to me that it was possible to have a successful, pro-life, Catholic-oriented OB/GYN medical practice. A few months later, when I began my OB/GYN residency as a NFP-only resident, I reached out to Tepeyac Center to get some in-depth medical advice on how to ethically manage ectopic pregnancies.
Although I am sure he was extremely busy, Dr. Bruchalski got back to me the very next day and answered all my questions. Dr. Bruchalski is definitely one of my role models and I can see myself opening up a clinic like Tepeyac Center in the future.”
– M.B.P.
Patrick Vander Woode Reflection
Earlier this year, Patrick, who is studying for a nursing career, spent a two-month clinical rotation at Tepeyac OB/GYN. Working in turn with each Tepeyac provider, he developed a well-balanced view of the practice. We asked him to share some impressions of his stay with us.
Interviewer: Among all of your options for a practice to host your OB/GYN clinical rotation, what made you choose Tepeyac?
PV: The main reason I wanted to do a…rotation at Tepeyac was…that they practice in a pro-life, prowoman, pro-science modality. I wanted to learn how to work with families regarding cycle irregularities, infertility and pregnancy in a manner consistent with science and ethical principles. I knew I would get this perspective at Tepeyac.
Interviewer: Please tell us how you benefited from your rotations within Tepeyac. PV: I learned a tremendous amount about managing women’s irregular cycles and how current methods such as artificial hormonal contraceptives only mask the underlying issues.
Interviewer: What was the most challenging medical situation in which you were involved during your time at Tepeyac? Most unexpected? Most gratifying?
PV: Perhaps one of the more lasting situations I will carry away from my clinical was an experience of seeing a young family who had been told their child had a significant congenital malformation, known as Hydrops Fetalis. This family had been advised by a different practice to pursue abortion. The family denied that option, and came to Tepeyac for prenatal care. When the family came for their postpartum visit, the child was essentially normal and was progressing as any normal infant would.
Interviewer: After completing your studies and beginning to design your own practice, will there be ways in which you’ll use Tepeyac as a model? If so, tell us a little about those ways.
PV: The many points I learned about dysmenorrhea, hormonal imbalance, congenital malformations, and pro-family attitudes will be aspects of how I practice in the future. While there is a great deal of intellectual laziness when it comes to OB/GYN care in modern medicine, Tepeyac taught me that true healthcare is not ideological but is firmly rooted in both natural law and sound biological principles.