Pro-Life Medical Students Tour Visits FSU Friday

The first National Medical Students for Life of America (Med SFLA) Bioethics Symposium and Tour will visit Florida State University College of Medicine Friday. Organizers did not provide a starting time for the event.

Dominique Monlezun, national coordinator for Medical Students for Life, will be speaking with Dr. John Bruchalski, a former abortion provider and founder of the pro-life Tepeyac Family Center in Virginia. He is recognized as one of the nations foremost medical experts on pro-life health care.

Commented Monlezun, If we want ready access to health care, dont we also want to trust the doctors and nurses providing that care? If the Obama administration succeeds in demolishing our conscience rights, you will have little guarantee that your little girls doctor will have an ethical commitment past their paycheck.

Talking about the purpose of the tour, Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life of America, said, This ... is so critical for the future of the medical profession in our country. It is at medical schools that pro-life students are facing discrimination and pressure from their medical school to conform to their pro-abortion policies. Med SFLA has countered this by working with medical students across the country to inform them of their rights and will help counter these prevalent abortion policies with the first-ever national Med SFLA speaking tour."

The National Bioethics Symposium tour will visit 22 medical schools and universities in February and March. Its purpose is to counter President Obamas attempts to strike down physician conscience rights, say organizers. The Obama administration has commented that it will rescind the conscience rule by March 1.

Under the Bush rule, finalized in 2008, recipients of federal health care funds are required to certify that they are in compliance with three existing federal conscience protection laws: the Church amendment, the Public Health Service Act Section 245, and the Weldon Amendment (passed annually as part of congressional appropriations). Each of the laws covers adifferent area, but all relate to whether a health care professional can be required to participate in medical procedures or research activities against his or her religious beliefs or moral convictions.

The tour looks to raise awareness about how the Bush conscience rule protects a health care professional from being required to participate in medical procedures or research activities against his or her moral convictions.

For further details of Friday's FSU event -- including a starting time and directions -- call Communications Director Mary Powers at 703-351-6280.

Visit the Medical Students for Life website for more information about the Med SFLA tour.