Born and raised in Davao, Philippines, I didn’t grow up with significant religious exposure. Moving to the United States, my siblings and I experienced great culture shock. We did not fit in in the small town of Elkhart, Indiana. As I grew up, I was bullied but eventually found my confidence with sports. One day the PE teacher asked the class to run a lap around the track for a physical fitness screening. I ran so fast that I qualified to run in the state track meet. I set a state record, and no one ever beat me in a race. Since sports came natural for me, I pursued a degree in Physical Education at Indiana University. I taught at schools and thought I found my career.
My life took a devastating turn when my boyfriend of five and a half years committed suicide during his final semester of law school. The saddest part was that he held my picture as he passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning. I was 23 years old and so confused about life. Coincidentally he was buried on my birthday. His family blamed me for his suicide which worsened my guilt. It took me years to recover from this and even today it still hurts. The guilt I felt made me want to switch my career and find something that kept me very busy, so that I had little time to think about my pain. That’s when I met a medical student who showed me what it was to be in medicine. This inspired me to go back to school and take pre-med classes. I got into medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine.
In medical school, I decided to run for president of my class. I went to Bible studies on campus, thinking that these “Christians” would vote for me if they thought I was a Christian. I even bought a camera and declared I was the class photographer so I would be invited to parties and become more popular. God had a way of showing me that there was a difference between people who called themselves Christians and ones who really practiced being like Jesus. I then studied the Bible and after seven months was baptized on March 6, 1983.
Being a Christian in medical school was very difficult as I went to church and Bible talks instead of studying like most medical students. However, by the grace of God, I passed my exams and graduated. The next challenge was four years of residency.
When interviewing to start my four-year residency program in Obstetrics and Gynecology, I made a point of asking about the requirements for participating in abortions at a highly respected hospital. I was reassured that I would not be required to perform abortions. In fact, they had a resident there who would not do these procedures. This gave me hope, so I started my residency there. I later found out that the “pro-life” resident doctor was willing to admit patients for abortions, do the ultrasound to determine the best method for the abortion and she would start the IV fluids. The doctor would not administer the abortion pill directly; instead, she would give the pill to the patient, so the patient administrated the mediation herself.
That was not acceptable to me! This doctor would do all the work to facilitate an abortion except administering the medication. I was not comfortable with doing this, so I went back to my church and asked one of the deacons who was a practicing OB/GYN for some advice. He advised that during his residency training, he did as he was told and advised me to do the same. I just could not accept this, so I got advice from another medical resident who told me to do what my conscience told me to do. How did I know what my conscience was telling me?
Soon after this, I had a very disturbing dream about how premature babies die with an abortion. The dream made my conscience clear to me and I was convinced that I did not want any part of an abortion.
This did not go over well with my residency director. He advised I would never make it as an OB/GYN if I did not even know how to perform an abortion. My only option then was to quit the residency program in the middle of my first year. However, by God’s design, another resident quit to move to a program in another state, leaving this program short two residents. This was unheard of because this left too much work for just one resident. The program director allowed me to stay and complete my first year without being involved in any abortions. My future was uncertain at this point.
One of the supervising physicians heard my story and advised me to reach out to a doctor who was the program director at a Catholic hospital residency. I reached out to that doctor and later found out he was the father of the supervising physician who referred me. God had a plan for me, not to quit but to transfer. I finished my entire residency with this new program and never had to be involved in or hear about abortions. By being faithful to God and trusting him with my future, God rewarded me completely.
The discernment God has given me has allowed me to really save people’s lives. It’s the Holy Spirit that tells me to keep looking or to keep trying when I see something wrong and because I listen, I am able to bring glory to God through the work I do. I have such an amazing support with my family and best friend who is a disciple, a primary care physician, and lives right next door to me. I can go to her with so many things and her spiritual insight is such a blessing.
I met my husband Bob Salsbury, and we were married in the church 36 years ago. We are happily married and are blessed with two adult daughters who also practice medicine.
After 38 years of practicing medicine, I am looking to retire within the next five years. God has blessed me in many ways and my prayer is to pass my practice on to God-fearing individual to continue to bring God’s work to our patients.
