Acceptance for program pending approval from supervisors/instructors.

For questions about this elective, contact Michael McCarthy (mpmccarthy@luc.edu) in Bioethics.

The Spiritual Exercises are an opportunity to reflect more deeply on one’s call to the practice of medicine through a mostly silent retreat. Many Stritch students cite a high sense of calling to the profession of medicine. Maintaining that high sense of calling has been demonstrated to lower reports of burnout. Thus, fourth year represents a critical juncture for a medical professional to become reinvigorated by their call to practice medicine. One of the key indicators for maintaining a high sense of calling to medicine, for those who report spirituality and religion as important to them, is deepening one’s spirituality.

This fourth year elective offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with one’s sense of spirituality and call to medicine through participating in St. Ignatius Loyola’s 30-day Spiritual Exercises at an off-site retreat center. Over the four weeks students will participate in a set of “spiritual exercises” with the help of a spiritual director at one of the available retreat centers https://jesuits.org/retreat-centers. At the conclusion of the elective, students should be able to articulate the importance of spirituality as a key component of their personal and professional life as a future physician. Finally, students are expected to research and enroll for the retreat at their own cost, though some scholarship opportunities may be available upon request.

Final paper and closing interview with course director.

Please note course is graded pass/fail only.