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Integrated Longitudinal Curriculum for Medical Student in Spirituality and Medicine [George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health from Templeton Fdn.]

James Kerwin, MD

We propose a new integrated and longitudinal curriculum in Spirituality and Medicine for medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine (COM).  In July of 2006 the College of Medicine begins a new integrated, organ system based curriculum called ArizonaMed. The new longitudinal Spirituality and Medicine curriculum will become an integral part of the new required curriculum in blocks, threads, clerkships, clerkship intersessions, electives and Societies, spanning four years of medical education.  The objectives of the new Spirituality and Medicine curriculum will be included in the new required Societies, the Life Cycle block and Humanism thread in the first two years of medical school.  During the third year required clerkships and clerkship intersessions, students will expand on their awareness of the connection between spirituality and health and develop tools to engage patients in the search for meaning in the context of health, illness and death.  The curriculum will also include some elective courses for fourth year students seeking advanced study, public lectures, workshops, research and other clinical and educational activities taught by the program’s multidisciplinary faculty.