Raquel Moore came to the Neighborhood Christian Clinic as part of a required medical elective. What she experienced during that month reshaped how she understands patient care.
A fourth-year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, Raquel was completing a Certificate in Service and Community Health. While reviewing the list of approved electives, she noticed the Clinic.
“I had never heard of it,” she shared, “but it sounded like something I’d be interested in.”
She ranked it as her top choice and was placed here for the month.
A First in Her Medical Training
During her rotation, Raquel worked alongside Clinic physicians, sitting in exam rooms and participating in patient care. Over the course of the month, one experience stood out clearly.
“This is the first time I’ve ever prayed with a patient.”
Although Raquel has been a Christian her entire life and has attended church consistently, prayer had never been part of her medical training.
“I’ve gone to church my whole life,” she explained, “and I’ve never had that kind of experience in a medical setting.”
At the Clinic, prayer was not separate from medical care. Patients still received medications, evaluations, and follow-up. Prayer did not replace clinical care, but it was included as part of caring for the whole person.
“That experience,” Raquel shared, “really made an impact on what I think my future practice could look like.”
Hearing a Patient Describe the Moment
One patient encounter left a lasting impression.
After praying together, the patient shared that she felt “an energy or a power or something shift” after the prayer.
For Raquel, hearing a patient describe that experience out loud mattered deeply.
“Just to have a patient be able to verbalize what that felt like for them,” she said, “was really impactful.”
Dr. Paul explained to the patient that what she was describing was the work of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing that exchange helped Raquel see how faith and medicine can intersect in a way she had never experienced before.
Encouraged by Fellowship
Raquel also reflected on how the daily rhythm at the Clinic affected her personally.
Before moving to Arizona, she had been part of the same small group from elementary school through high school. After moving, she did not continue in that kind of group, though she and her husband have remained committed to attending church every weekend throughout medical school.
“Being in God’s Word with the group twice a day,” she said, “really reminded me how much I miss that and how important fellowship is.”
That reminder became one of the most meaningful takeaways from her month at the Clinic.
A Broader View of Medicine
Raquel has applied for residency in internal medicine and is still discerning what comes next. Her time at the Clinic expanded how she thinks about her future in medicine.
“I didn’t know medicine could be done in this way,” she shared. “I didn’t know that a place like this existed.”
Seeing whole-person care practiced consistently and thoughtfully opened her eyes to a model of medicine she had never encountered before.
“I had never experienced anything like this,” she said.
She also shared that she now feels “a lot more comfortable taking a spiritual history” and plans to do so going forward.
A Message for Clinic Donors
Raquel was clear about how meaningful her time at the Clinic had been.
“Being able to train here and learn about this resource has been incredible,” she shared. “But the training alongside it is priceless. It’s really incredible to be a part of, and it’s going a long way.”
“Thank you for making this experience possible.”