A quick glimpse at the level of spirituality among practitioners of the medical sciences:
The survey of 1,125 U.S. doctors found that 76 percent believe in God and nearly 60 percent in some sort of afterlife.
“We did not think physicians were nearly this religious,” said Farr Curlin, a doctor and instructor at the University of Chicago who oversaw the survey.
“We suspect that people who combine an aptitude for science with an interest in religion and an affinity for public service are particularly attracted to medicine,” Curlin said.
“The responsibility to care for those who are suffering, and the rewards of helping those in need, resonate throughout most religious traditions,” he added.
The report, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, also found that 90 percent of doctors said they attend religious services at least occasionally.
“Physicians are more likely to describe themselves as ‘spiritual’ as distinct from religious, whereas for the general population, spirituality and religion appear to be more tightly connected,” the study said.
Doctors and patients are also likely to differ on relying upon God for help in coping with a major illness, the study said.
“While most patients will ‘look to God for strength, support and guidance,’ most physicians will instead try to ‘make sense of the situation and decide what to do without relying on God,'” the study added.
More at Reuters…