Table 1 Required course characteristics
From: Spirituality and health in the curricula of medical schools in Brazil
Course name | Main topic | Public or Private | Objectives | Issues | Learning methodology | Hands-on training | Teach spiritual history |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Religious Culture -Compulsory 36 h | Religion | Private | (a)Understand that religion is a way of seeking the truth; (b)Analyze the significance of human actions in the light of the religious phenomenon; (c) Respect different religious manifestations; (d) Emphasizing the spirit of pluralism and the question of prejudice; (e)Identify within religious traditions the processes of self-generating emancipation and solidarity | (a)The contribution of religious manifestations in the constitution of cultures and societies; (b)Recognize the characteristics of the sacred and the profane culture; (c)Approach to the relationship between health-care and salvation; (d)Approach to the death and dying - euthanasia, dysthanasia and orthothanasia;(e) Hospice care | Lectures, group discussions, debates in the classroom, library research, individual and team work, reading supplementary texts | No | No |
Theology and Health -Compulsory 34 h | Religion | Private | (a) Relate theology and health in the historical, social, economic, cultural and religious practice of medicine and Christian thoughts, in a Christian and humanist perspective | (a) University and education in today's world; (b)The concept of health; (c) History of Medicine, Theology and Science; (d) Physician-patient relationship and Anthropology; (e) Jesus Christ and the Trinity; (f) The Gospel according to Luke and its relationship to health and medicine | Lectures, group discussions, supplementary internet files and movies regarding this issue | No | No |
Theology and health -Compulsory 36 h | Religion | Private | (a)Think about the different interrelationships between Theology Health and Diseases; (b) Reflect on the relation between Theology and care, pain, suffering, community treatment, illness and health | (a) Concepts of Theology, Health and Illness; (b) Health as a complex process involving psycho-socio-spiritual determinants; (c) Health and social institutions: family, school, workplace and church; (d) Meaning of communication processes to human health; (e) Care in Christian practices; (e) Effect of Religiosity and spirituality in health; (f) Care and theology; (g) Caring for carers; (h) Pain and Suffering: psycho-socio-cultural and spiritual aspects; (i) Christian Therapeutic communities; (j) Jesus and the sick and excluded | Blended learning: classroom activities (inaugural and final classes) and online activities | No | No |
Theology -Compulsory 2 weeks | Religion | Private | (a)Studying theology in order to incorporate their knowledge and insight for each medical act performed; (b) Assess the importance of theology and their health interaction within the medical practice; (c) Valuing the importance of the transcendental in doctor-patient relationships; (d)Valuing daily living in a multireligious world; (e) Understand the most frequent religions in Brazil; (f) Understand and respect ecumenism and religious pluralism; (g)Introduction to Theology and its importance to medical practice | (a)The multireligious world; (b) Religions in Latin America and Brazil. The foundations of the most common religions in Brazil; (c) The truths and limits of religions; (d) Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue; (e) Understanding the Ecumenical conception; (f) Roots of the ecumenical movement; (g) Christian Churches and ecumenical movement; (h) Organizations in defense of ecumenism in Brazil; (i) Spirituality and religious pluralism: could interfere with doctor-patient relationship? | Problem-based learning | No | No |