At Indiana University School of Medicine, the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine scholarly concentration offers students a unique opportunity to explore how spiritual beliefs and practices intersect with clinical care. This concentration encourages future physicians to consider the role of spirituality in patient resilience, decision-making and overall wellness — while also reflecting on their own values and sense of purpose in medicine.
Fast facts about the concentration
- Location: Statewide (based in Indianapolis)
- Co-directors: Alex Lion, DO, and Mona Raed, MD
Meet the co-directors
The Religion and Spirituality in Medicine scholarly concentration is co-led by Alex Lion, DO, and Mona Raed, MD.
Lion is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at IU School of Medicine and a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Riley Hospital for Children, specializing in pediatric cancer predisposition. He became involved in the topic of religion and spirituality in medicine early in his pediatric oncology training when he witnessed families experience spiritual distress in the setting of a child’s cancer.
“In one pivotal moment, a parent told me, ‘It’s not about the cancer. It’s about this feeling that God has abandoned me,’” Lion said.
Since that time, Lion has studied the subject, collaborated with national leaders in the field and published in major peer-reviewed journals about how physicians address patient spirituality. He is currently the principal investigator for a research project studying how to train healthcare team members in pediatric hematology-oncology to recognize spiritual distress and work alongside chaplains to support the spiritual needs of patients and families.
Raed is a palliative and hospice physician at Community Health Network and an adjunct clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at IU School of Medicine. She has always had an interest in religion and spirituality as it interfaces with the medical world and how physicians both care for patients and navigate the complexity for the patient and within themselves.
“The ability for families and patients to cope and derive deep resilience and meaning of illness, death and dying from their belief and values has been a source of true inspiration,” Raed said.
She said the integrated nature of her fellowship training and early attending years enabled her to interface with every discipline of the hospital system on a very deep and meaningful level.
“Walking into the many patient and family rooms alongside my colleagues as a religious and cultural minority has made me look at my faith, values and the meaning I derive in a very critical way over the years,” Raed said. “It has helped me understand that the communication of touch, compassion, honesty and openness are universal languages in the setting of critical illness — no matter the difference in spirituality or background.”
What students can expect
Students in the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine concentration will engage in thoughtful exploration of how spirituality influences health, illness and healing. The program welcomes individuals from all spiritual backgrounds and fosters inclusive, respectful dialogue.
The co-directors said the way the concentration seeks to include people from multiple spiritual backgrounds is what helps it stand apart from similar programs at other medical schools. They believe there are distinct lessons in health to learn from each tradition and want to model humble inquiry to the larger society by setting the concentration up for diverse discussion in seminars.
"I am most excited to see how the unique and diverse interests of the students guide their inquiry into this field,” Lion said. “Whether in primary care or medical specialty, there is not one area of medicine untouched by spiritual perspective. I am excited to see the ways that spiritual inquiry may further enliven and deepen the careers of medical students. Because the spiritual traditions and medical specialties of these students may differ than mine, I am also excited to learn from them as much as they learn from me.”
The academic and social culture surrounding this concentration is one of openness and curiosity. The co-directors said students and faculty alike are eager to explore spirituality in the healthcare setting, and there is a sense that many have long felt its importance but didn’t know how to broach the subject before. This concentration offers a safe and supportive environment to ask questions, share experiences and learn together.
The concentration also partners with the Evans Center for Religious and Spiritual Values in Healthcare, one of the few centers in the country dedicated to spirituality in health research. The Evans Center regularly convenes researchers across the state of Indiana who focus on spirituality and health, with collaborators from other major institutions. Students benefit from access to leading researchers, collaborative opportunities and exposure to ongoing studies funded by NIH and IU Health Values grants.
Is this the right fit?
By engaging with this concentration, students develop skills in compassionate communication, cultural humility and ethical reflection that are valuable in any medical specialty.
While there are national competencies in medical education regarding spirituality as an aspect of health, this concentration is ideal for students who feel a calling to explore the deeper dimensions of medicine. Whether they come from a strong spiritual tradition or are simply curious about how faith and values shape patient care, students will find a welcoming space to learn and grow.
Spirituality is not only important for patients — it can also be a source of resilience for physicians. IU School of Medicine’s eight-fold model of wellness includes spiritual wellness, and this concentration provides a space for students to reflect on how their own beliefs and values contribute to their well-being and sense of purpose.
Students unsure about their fit are encouraged to reach out to the co-directors for a conversation.
Examples of student research
Students in the Religion and Spirituality in Medicine concentration have completed a variety of scholarly projects, including survey design and implementation, qualitative analysis and concept analysis with narrative reviews of key topics. The field is broad and open to exploration, with projects ranging from connections between vaccination and religiosity to thinking about ways spirituality education is established within healthcare systems. Many students consider the way their projects may help them explore their interest in particular specialties, with opportunities in both medical and surgical departments for spirituality related projects. Because the scholarly outlets also include conferences related to ethics, theology and humanities, projects may also be shaped to aid students in exploring their own experiences in the relationship between spirituality/faith/religion and health.
