"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:35-40, NIV)
Today we had the privilege of interviewing a physician who has certainly been an inspiration to us here at Health OU. Marlo Hodnett, then known Marlo Murray-Jackson, graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2004. Shortly there after she married Mark Hodnett in 2005. She completed her Internal Medicine residency in Knoxville, TN and is now practicing in Huntsville, AL. This summer she went with the National Association for the Prevention of Starvation (NAPS) to Madagascar to provide medical and spiritual relief to those who have never heard the gospel. Her interview and some pictures are below:
Health OU: So Dr. Hodnett, where are you from?
Dr. Hodnett: Originally from Denver, CO where I was born and raised
Health OU: Did you always want to be a doctor?
Dr. Hodnett: Yes, as a matter of fact I wanted to be a neurosurgeon and at that time there was only one female neurosurgeon in the U.S and I was determined to be the second!
Health OU: Lol. I take it that Ben Carson was the inspiration behind this?
Dr. Hodnett: Yes, he was.
Health OU: Cool. So from the video we can see that you definitely have a heart for missions. Did your parents encourage this when you were a little girl or did this passion come later?
Dr. Hodnett: My parents were definitely used by God to instill in me the passion for service. We'd adopt a family every Christmas and our parents would have us pick out the gifts we wanted and we would wrap and give them to the family. We were always feeding the homeless, housing those who were in between jobs or going through rough times.
Health OU: I guess its true that you should train up a child in the way they should go...
Health OU: Ok, so what year did you start going to Oakwood University and what was your major?
Dr. Hodnett: I was a Biology major and I graduated in 1995.
Health OU: Besides NAPS, were you involved in any other ministries on campus?
Dr. Hodnett: Orchestra, Junior class President and Senior class Vice President
Health OU: Wow, orchestra! What instrument did you play?
Dr. Hodnett: Clarinet. My parents made me since I was 8 y/o, but I learned to enjoy it and it was useful on the mission trips with NAPS.
Health OU: I know a lot of students at Oakwood have to make that decision as to whether they want to join NAPS, or work with a different ministry. What made you join?
Dr. Hodnett: Well, I remember how good it felt helping others with my family. I remember Dr. Anthony Paul telling our biology class, " Many of you want to be a physician so you can help others. If you don't start now the chances of that still being your main intent when becoming a physician are very low." There were many ministries on campus, I chose NAPS with the determination that I would help people now.
Health OU: Wonderful. Did you have any challenges academically while going through Oakwood?
Dr. Hodnett: I wasn't one of those students who didn't have to study and could still ace the exam. I had to work hard to get good grades, which meant long nights, early mornings and determination. I always made it a point to put God first and do my best. He definitely rewarded my efforts.
Health OU: Did you feel like your decision to attend Loma Linda over other medical schools preserved your passion for medical ministry?
Dr. Hodnett: Definitely. I applied to other medical schools and got interviews, but Loma Linda was the first to accept me. I had prayed to God to show me where to go. I got the news of my acceptance while on Christmas mission trip with NAPS to Sudan. We had just returned from south Sudan to Nairobi, Kenya and they had left a message for me at the ADRA headquarters. I definitely felt that was a sign from God.
Health OU: So you went all through out college serving the Lord through NAPS, and you went to Loma Linda with the express desire of continuing to serve Him. Did the Lord make medical school a relatively smooth time for you?
Dr. Hodnett: Not exactly. Medical School was rough. But through it all, God still provided avenues for me to serve and graduate with my MD
Health OU: So doing mission work doesn't protect us from trials? That's good to know, lol.
Dr. Hodnett: No, but the experiences you have while on mission trips provide you with, what I call, Ebenezers to help you go through those trials.
Health OU: Wonderful. So did you find that your medical training completely prepared you for what you witnessed while in Madagascar?
Dr. Hodnett: No, not hardly! But praise the Lord, God prepared me!
Health OU: So, in the video I saw that you were using things like hydrotherapy and charcoal. Did you learn this in medical school?
Dr. Hodnett: No. Prior to the mission. God impressed me that I needed to learn hydrotherapy. At that time I didn't really believe that hydrotherapy or charcoal poultices worked. I dismissed the thought, but one day I was talking wit Dr. Paul. I could see that he had something to tell me but was hesitant. I insisted that he tell me. He stated that God woke him up early that morning and impressed him that I need to learn hydrotherapy. So, after that I prayed and asked the Lord to teach me and guide me to the right resources. I was able to experiment on some of my friends and saw amazing results!!
Health OU: Wow. You know many people may look at the video above and think..."There is no way I could do that. I don't have the gifts to do what this doctor did. I don't know enough Bible texts to did what she did." What would you say to them?
Dr. Hodnett: Neither did I. I was so nervous about going on this mission. I had been on several mission trips before but never as a physician and I was fresh out of residency and no one with more experience to rely on. Actually, I take that back....I had to totally rely on God and He is the Great Physician. You just have to be willing. God will bless our meager efforts, because He'll do whatever it takes to save a soul!
Health OU: Amen. Did you have any closing words of wisdom for those Oakwood science majors or Oakwood alumni who are reading this interview and want to be used by God but don't know where to start? Or any just general words of wisdom?
Dr. Hodnett: Just let God use you. Put Him first, before your academics, before your job, before your finances,...before everything! He will do miraculous things through you. If He could use me, I know He can use anyone. I praise Him, I thank Him and I love Him with all my heart!
Health OU: Thank you so much Dr. Hodnett for your testimony. For those reading this interview, if you would like to contact Dr. Hodnett you can by sending your a personal message or e-mail through the Health OU site.
