Spirituality and Surgical Education: Beliefs and Practices Among General Surgery Program Directors.

Objective: Characterize the perception of religious beliefs and spirituality among program directors in general surgery training.

Design: Anonymous, voluntary, self-administered 33-question web-based survey examining general surgery program director demographics and perceptions of religious beliefs and spirituality in general surgery residency training.

Participants: All US general surgery program directors were invited to participate through direct email or through email to their program administrators.

Results: Program directors report diversity in religious affiliation, matching the religious heterogeneity of the US population. Most program directors (59.2%) meditate or pray privately. Many (53.7%) believe that prayer can alter the course of a disease for some patients, and 59.3% have prayed with patients over the past year. PDs unanimously consider it important for residents to learn to account for the spiritual needs of their patients. PDs unanimously believe that prayer and meditation are important to patients.

Conclusions: Program directors value spirituality in general surgery residency training. Accounting for spirituality among patients and within surgical education is important. Intentional efforts to account for spiritual needs in general surgery residency training should be made.