TEACHING ABOUT SPIRITUALITY DURING MEDICAL GRADUATION USING THE TERRITORY

Introduction: The medical course of Santa Marcelina Faculty began in 2012, and introduced in its curriculum, in the 1rst and 4th semester, the discipline, “Spirituality and Thanatology” aiming to collaborate for a better training of future physicians including holistic care based on integrality and respect. Objective; to present one of the tasks used in the discipline to arouse in students the necessary respect to be able to deal with the “different”, also in its spiritual and religious aspects, parts of people’s culture. Methods: Students from the 1rst semester, as part of their 4 visits in the Health Care Units during the semester must go for a field visit with the Community Health agents, and map the religious equipments of the territory. In one of the religious centers, the students must interview the local religious leader as well as one of the followers. The questions are relative to the feeling of belonging to their religious faith man, about death, various cults and the role of the heath unit. Results: The interviews experience and the encounter of the diversity of beliefs and great number of spiritual centers, gives the possibility to students to modify their opinion, as related by their written essay in their impressions. Conclusion: the exercise of exploring the territory for graduate students has become an ally in its formation for the learning of holistic care which includes spirituality.