In our student-led small-group, we held a dynamic discussion framed by the following questions:
- Reflect and share: What experiences have you had with religion and/or hope in medicine?
- When have you seen this be a positive thing? When negative?
- How do you think you should respond when asked to pray with a patient, or asked if you believe in God for example
- What about when a patient says something along the lines of ‘I’m not worried, God will save me’
- How is your response to a question of hope or faith different when it’s the pt, vs a surrogate vs. a parent of a child making a decision based on hope of a miracle?
- How do you anticipate, or have you thought about how your own faith (or lack thereof) would impact your response/your relationship with the patient/your empathy for the situation?
- How should you approach hope that feels clinically unwarranted?
- Would it be appropriate at any point (and if so when) would it be appropriate for you to bring your own thoughts/beliefs into your interactions with patients?