CMA Announces New Novus Medicus Committee Chair
August 9, 2023
By Nadia Smtih
Dr. Jonathan Scrafford
The Catholic Medical Association Board announced the appointment of Dr. Jonathan Scrafford as the new chair of the Novus Medicus Committee, which supports the CMA Board and the national office by coordinating, inspiring, and overseeing the development of young members of the association.
Novus Medicus is a rebranding of the Young Members Advisory Committee (YMAC) spearheaded by Dr. Thomas McGovern, the chair of YMAC for many years. He saw the need to reimagine the committee and its efforts to recruit and support medical students and young physicians. He also identified the grant that made the new Novus Medicus website possible through Our Sunday Visitor.
Drs. Katherine Kondratuk, Francesca Ursua, Amber and Paul Day along with Maggie Hartman served as chair of one of the four sections that covered pre-medical students, medical students, residents, and young physicians. They all helped with the transition to the new model that now puts emphasis on recruitment and membership, encounter, and communications to better serve these members.
As Dr. Scrafford explains, “Since the formative journeys of Catholic medical students and residents often overlap, and because the professional and vocational struggles of each are shared to a great degree, moving towards a united model makes sense to streamline overlapping work and to make impactful experiences available to both.”
He also noted that by putting medical students and residents in frequent contact with each other, it strengthened the bonds of friendship which will be vital in encouraging each other as they navigate the challenges unique to their training.
“Owing to Dr. McGovern’s vision, the Novus Medicus Committee refocused attention on the needs of students and residents, and provided a model to support them,” noted President Dr. Craig Treptow. “Dr. Day generously agreed to fill the interim chair position this past year after Dr. McGovern stepped down. We are grateful to him for his service in stepping up to lead this committee. Dr. Scrafford has now been elected as chair of Novus Medicus. His enthusiasm and leadership will be a great asset to the students and young physicians of the CMA.”
Dr. Scrafford first learned about CMA during his first year of medical school at the University of Minnesota during the fall of 2009. He was drawn by the joyful example of Drs. Bob Tibesar and Peter Daly who were representing CMA at an activities fair at his school.
“Speaking personally with physicians who saw their profession as carrying out Christ’s healing mission was a true inspiration,” he said. “I’ve never looked back since.”
He was personally guided and inspired by CMA’s outreach as a medical student and resident and is honored to be able to do the same for others through his work on the committee. He hopes to make the resources needed to help these members thrive during their training and early professional years more easily and readily available through this new model.
“Novus Medicus will cater in a focused way on the particular needs of future physicians, so that they may more effectively live out the Church’s teachings in the science and practice of medicine,” he said.
Dr. Scrafford practices as an Ob-Gyn in Wichita, Kansas, where he lives with his wife Diane and their eight children. He also serves as the president of the St. Gianna Guild in addition to his new appointment on the national board’s committee. Despite being a busy doctor, husband and father, Dr. Scrafford knows that at the end of the day, everything will get done that needs to get done because it is about what God does, not him.
“If God has called you to a vocation and a profession, and your calculations don’t seem to possibly add up to what you think you’d need to carry them out, answer the call and trust anyway,” he said. “If you put forward your five loaves and two fish, no matter how silly the effort seems, God will do the rest.”
