Medical humanities
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A growing body of research suggests that religion and spirituality may have a positive effect on mental and physical health. Medical schools have been increasingly offering courses in spirituality and health, particularly about the multi-cultural dimensions of religion and spirituality. ⋯ This article describes a specific curriculum in spirituality, religion and culture that was introduced in 2003 at the University of Washington Psychiatry Residency Program in Seattle, Washington. Reflections about the present and future of subject areas such as spirituality and religion in medical education and psychiatry residency are discussed.