Students will work directly with hospital and hospice chaplains, a visiting home nurse, and physicians who practice whole person health care using the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model. Students will also spend time meeting with people of different faiths and visiting a few community organizations.

Students will gain knowledge of different belief systems and the how faith may affect the health, well-being, and medical decision making of patients. They will learn about the role of hospital and hospice chaplains and will gain an understanding of when to refer patients to them.

This course will also help students demonstrate knowledge and skills in taking a bio-psycho-social-spiritual history using the FLOSSS acronym and addressing patient-centered issues relating to the whole-person healthcare.

Students will be engaged with providing in-person, clinical care, writing a case study about spirituality and health, and visiting faith-based and other community organizations that strive to help their clients improve their well-being in different ways.

The first two students who register for this elective will be assigned to work with chaplains at Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo. The second two students who register will be assigned to work with chaplains at Niagara Hospice in Lockport.

4 weeks noticed is required to add/drop course. 

Prerequisite: MS4

Phase 3 (M4s) Modules: D-F (Fall), H-L (Spring) 

Number of students: 4

Course Director: David M. Holmes, MD

Course Coordinator: Michelle Kasprzyk