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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
MD Education Program
In the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Scholarly Concentration, medical students study major spiritual traditions, spiritual concepts in health, and the ways they interact.

Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Scholarly Concentration

In the Religion and Spirituality Scholarly Concentration, medical students will be introduced to major spiritual traditions, spiritual concepts in health, and the ways they interact. These include religious traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and non-religious spiritual traditions such as atheism. Spiritual concepts include personhood, belief, hope, meaning-making, compassion, cure/healing, and suffering. Course sessions will be led by a spiritually diverse faculty, with discussion of spiritual traditions preferentially led by leaders within those traditions.

Locations

All coursework is offered virtually. Scholarly project locations vary by project.

Curriculum and Timeline

Students completing the Religion and Spirituality concentration fulfill the same core curriculum as students in other concentrations. The didactic components provide a strong academic and experiential foundation in religion and spirituality that will be vital for completion of the core curriculum project and product.

Topic-Specific Courses

Survey of Spiritual Traditions and Concepts in Health

Survey of Spiritual Care Practice and the Research of Spirituality in Health

Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Journal Club

Core Curriculum

Fundamentals of Research and Scholarship

Scholarly Concentration Project

Scholarly Concentration Product

Recommended Pathway

This table shows that the first three topic specific courses should be completed during the summer between first and second year of med school. The fourth topic specific course should be taken during phase one in year two. The two remaining courses, project and product, are longitudinal. The project and product should begin as soon as the summer between first and second year of med school and conclude on or before the end of fourth year.

Students determine if a concentration pathway will fit in their schedule by contacting concentration co-directors. 

Scholarly Project Topic Examples

Students work with faculty to complete a project in a relevant topic based on student interests. Students are welcome to come up with their own project idea. Projects carried out by current students include, but are not limited to:
  • Interprofessional spiritual care in pediatric hematology/oncology
  • The role of acceptance and commitment therapy and spiritual coping in Breast Cancer survivors
  • Validation of the team based spirituality index
  • Religious orientation and Anorexia Nervosa

Awards related to the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Concentration:

  • The IU School of Medicine Trustee's Teaching Awards
  • The PLUS grant from the Center for Inclusive Excellence

Unique scholarly activities related to the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Concentration:

  • The 2024 (national) Conference on Medicine and Religion was hosted in Indianapolis, with program planning led by the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine Scholarly Concentration Co-Directors
  •  For more information, visit http://www.medicineandreligion.com

Co-Directors

Students should reach out to Dr. Lion with any questions about this concentration at alion@iu.edu.
23413-Lion, Alex

Alex Lion, DO, MPH

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Bio and Contact Information

43542-Raed, Mona

Mona A. Raed, MD

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

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map shows the location of the religion and spirituality concentration in indianapolis
MD Student News

In their words: Scholarly Concentration Q&A with Religion and Spirituality co-directors

Alex Lion, DO, and Mona Raed, MD, share details on the new Religion and Spirituality Scholarly Concentration, in which medical students will be introduced to major spiritual traditions, spiritual concepts in health, and the ways they interact.