Spirituality and Medicine

I was invited to speak in the Haligi Congress in Cebu organized by the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians and AMSA - Cebu. It was my second time to talk about the intersection of Spirituality and Medicine among physicians. But this was more for public health practitioners and the medical students. 

My topic was entitled "Soulful Balance: Embracing Spritual and Mental Wellness Among People in Healthcare."

My talk was focused in highlighting the role of spirituality in addressing the problem of health human resource scarcity in our country. I opened my talk with a review of the six building blocks of health according to WHO and highlighting the importance of the Human Resource for Health block. I then surveyed the current problems leading to the exodus of HRH and the maldistribution of the remaining HRH in the country. Then I introduced the concept of spirituality and related it to the purpose and reason why a person would seek to become a healthcare provider much more a public health practitioner in the countryside. I discussed extensively using examples from my experiences and highlighting published researches that supports my arguments. 

I concluded my talk by emphasizing the importance of including spirituality early in medical school to guide students in the path that they would choose to take. 

January 2023 Wesleyan Spirituality

 This year, 2023, I will begin a new chapter in my life as an academician. I have accepted the challenge to teach spirituality in medical school. This is a first in any medical school in the Philippines. A whole semester course in Wesleyan Spirituality will be offered in the Wesleyan University - Philippines. The course will focus on the Wesleyan praxis in the context of holistic care to the person. 

Throughout the year, I hope to share my lectures, reflections and researches in the hope of adding new knowledge in the field of spirituality and health.

Hope to hear from your comments and feedback as we journey together in this exciting year of learning and discovery on Wesleyan Spirituality.