Houston Methodist Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program

My CPE Internship experience at Houston Methodist was a fruitful time of personal growth and preparation. From Educators and Staff Chaplains to Department Leadership and my CPE peers, all within the Houston Methodist community were sensitively supportive, extremely knowledgeable, and highly professional.

Having dialogued with many Chaplaincy peers who studied elsewhere, I have gained an understanding of and appreciation for what a uniquely impactful educational experience I had. My studies with Drs. Rodriguez and Soga equipped me with a stout core of foundational knowledge and a heightened sense of self-awareness.

As a result of my CPE journey, I am a better person — a better husband, father, friend, minister, servant-leader, employee, and neighbor.

"My residency at Houston Methodist was a transformative journey that deepened my calling as a chaplain. The program's integration of clinical experience with rich, reflective ACPE education allowed me to grow in cultural and religious competence while offering compassionate presence to patients, families, and staff.

The supportive supervision and peer learning atmosphere enabled me to grow in my ability to provide compassionate, patient-centered care while gaining clarity in my pastoral identity. I learned how to be present with people during moments of crisis and hope, and I am thankful for how this program shaped me both personally and professionally.

Future residents will find a place where they can develop, face challenges, and explore the depth of chaplaincy within a diverse and outstanding medical community."

El programa de CPE ha traído grandes desafíos para mi vida, cada una de las unidades me ha retado en varias áreas de las cuales me permito enumerar: mí de vida personal, mi trato hacia mi familia, un desafío de cambio en mi trabajo y ministerio y, por último, y creo que es el área más importante, mi forma de ver y relacionarme con Dios.

He aprendido en estos tres años de enseñanza que es importante mi relación con mi educador, doy gracias a Dios por la vida del Dr. Luis Elier quien, hasta este momento, ha tenido cuidado de mi persona dando ejemplo de acompañamiento, empatía y cuidado. Agradezco también por la vida de mis pares los cuales han sido una herramienta para forjar mi carácter. No puedo dejar de mencionar la enseñanza que recibo cada vez que he visitado el HMH y cuando los estudiantes de EUA visitan el Seminario Metodista Juan Wesley, las conferencias y la convivencia que hemos tenido han sido de enseñanza y bendición.

Culmino mencionando que el programa de CPE es transformador. Es un programa que recomiendo a todos aquellos que desean ser de bendición para su prójimo.

I have benefited from the Houston Methodist CPE program in both my personal and professional life. The two main strengths I see in the program are:

First, the almost immediate access to clinical rounds. The best way to learn is by doing, and Houston Methodist allows its CPE students ample opportunity to interact with patients early in the program.

Second, the strong support from educators, mentors and all the people in the spiritual care community that I encountered at Houston Methodist. Each time, the educators made it very clear that they were available for any questions or help I needed. It was wonderful to know that such a resource was available to me.

Becoming a compassionate and skilled spiritual care provider has been my dream, and the HMH CPE resident program serves as a perfect platform to bridge my dream to reality. The program integrates education, mentorship, and clinicals into one course, allowing me to learn and grow by transferring knowledge into practice with the guidance and support of experienced staff chaplains.

The exceptional quality of education, administration, and support in the resident program makes my CPE learning journey a valuable and enjoyable life experience. In the Cultural Immersion Program and Mexico/USA Exchange Program, I was able to exercise my intercultural and interreligious humility in a distinctly untraditional way.

Through collaboration with neighboring healthcare institutions in Texas Medical Center, this resident program has broadened my vision beyond the role of a single hospital chaplain. In a word, HMH CPE resident program has been a life-transforming process for me, paving the way for my future in professional chaplaincy.

The CPE has been a transformative journey in my life.

It has allowed me to integrate my whole being, changing not only my ministry as a chaplain but also my entire life. Throughout this journey, reflection, self-knowledge, focusing on presence, and, above all, empathy have made a huge difference in my ministry. From the bottom of my heart, I thank every soul who has made this possible!