Picture yourself as a first-year medical student. Since you were young, you’ve dreamed of learning and applying the skills you’re just starting to acquire… all to help others live their healthiest life.

Yet, ever since you started medical school, you’ve noticed a growing tension between what your professors, medical school administrators, and the medical profession are requiring from you and the religious convictions that play a big role in your desire to pursue and practice medicine.

You might think laws protecting the free exercise of religion would be enough to protect medical students and practitioners facing these issues. After all, the God-given freedom to peaceably live and work according to your beliefs shouldn’t vanish just because you work in the medical field. But too often, these rights are set aside to achieve an ideological victory.

Americans should not be forced to act against their ethical and religious beliefs just to keep their jobs—doctors, nurses, and other medical providers are no different. The MED Act, passed by Arkansas in 2021, and similar conscience protection bills protect the ability of medical professionals to practice according to their oath to “do no harm.” And by protecting their oath to “do no harm,” we safeguard the right of patients to access high quality care from providers that respect their values.

Has your state taken action to fortify conscience protections for the medical community? Find out at https://ADFLegal.org/MED. You can also share your story with ADF if you’re a medical professional or medical student who has encountered discrimination.

You can find more videos like this at https://ADFLegal.org/Freedom-Matters and on YouTube and Facebook today.

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