Seven-year-old children usually have few goals in life. What toy or friend to play with is usually at the top of the list. For a seven-year-old girl named Jennifer Harrison, her goal was quite different. Even at that young age she knew she wanted to become a doctor. In fact, Jennifer will say she felt God calling her to be a doctor.

A Different Path

Jennifer grew up in a loving Christian home. Her grandfather was a preacher and her parents were Christians also. Growing up in a military family, Jennifer enjoyed many different moves and experiences, including going to high school in Germany. Although she assumed she would be a medical missionary, life took her down a different path.

It took Jennifer by surprise when her entry into medical school took three years. She worked as a laboratory technician and earned her masters degree in the meantime. After her three-year medical school residency, Jennifer qualified as a specialist in heart, lung, and internal medicine. As an internal medicine specialist, Jennifer also works in the field of oncology, gynecology, and dermatology. Her husband is a doctor in the area of family medicine.

Opportunities to share her faith abound as Jennifer encounters life and death issues every day. A Christian physician’s Bible study group used to meet at the medical offices where Jennifer practices. Because of opposition, the group chose to change the location of their Bible study to Bayside Christian Church. The conflict arose when, while meeting in the cafeteria of the hospital and medical offices, administrators were concerned that all religions were not included. Basically, administrators did not want their small group to be deemed Christian. In response, their group could have caved in to unreasonable demands by their administrators. Instead the group chose to meet at a local church so they could discuss how to handle patients in crisis.

“Every day we have challenges,” Jennifer acknowledges. Since Jennifer deals with so many patients going through crisis and through life and death issues, she must handle things appropriately. Treating aging patients also challenges Jennifer as she helps them deal with this stage of life. On a regular basis, Jennifer leaves Bibles in her exam room. She has to replenish her supply frequently, as many of the Bibles disappear. But she is glad about it. The Bibles provide support for people in crisis and help those who are dealing with important issues.

Plans for the Future

In the mid to late 80s Jennifer visited the South Pacific with a medical missions group and found the experience to be very humbling. Interestingly, on an international basis, her medical knowledge was of little value as she dealt with unfamiliar issues and diseases. Presently Jennifer flies to Mexico one weekend a month to work in a clinic there. The clinic helps transport sick children to the United States for medical assistance. Jennifer has found medical missions to Mexico and the South Pacific very rewarding.

Much time has passed since the young seven year old wanted to be a doctor. That seven year old is now 52 and is looking forward to the age of 60. At the age of 60 both Jennifer and her husband want to retire from full-time medical service in the United States and pursue medical missions abroad. At this time they are waiting to see where God will call them. Both Jennifer and her husband Mitch are committed to two weeks of missions a year. Mitch is called to Guatemala and Jennifer recently visited New Guinea.

“I love medicine and I love what I do,” Jennifer says. She will be the first to admit it is easy to get bogged down in the day to day survival of medicine. Medical mission work keeps things in perspective for her and helps keep her focused on daily tasks.

Knowing she can make such a profound impact in the lives of those who desperately need it is a constant reminder that God is working in her and through her. For Jennifer, sharing her life as a doctor and sharing her faith as a Christian make her life complete. |L

Susanne Dacus graduated from Pacific Christian College with a degree in Christian Education. She and her husband Brad work with Pacific Justice Institute in Citrus Heights, California. Brad and Susanne reside in Sacramento, California with their two children.

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