USA, June 24, 2005: A study of physician religious beliefs has found that 76% of doctors in America believe in God and 59% believe in an afterlife. The survey, by researchers at the University of Chicago, found that 90% of US doctors attend religious services at least occasionally, compared to 81% of all adults, and 55% say their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine. The results run counter to expectations. Religious belief normally decreases as education and income increases, yet doctors are highly educated and usually well compensated. Additionally, studies show that a minority of scientists believes in God or an afterlife. “We did not think physicians were nearly this religious,” says study author Farr Curlin. “We suspect that people who combine an aptitude for science with an interest in religion and an affinity for public service are particularly attracted to medicine. The responsibility to care for those who are suffering, and the rewards of helping those in need, resonate throughout most religious traditions.”
While physicians are nearly as religious as the general population, their specific beliefs often differ from those of their patients. While more than 80% of patients describe themselves at Protestant or Catholic, only 60% of physicians come from either group. Physicians are 26 times more likely to be Hindu than the overall US population, seven times more likely to be Jewish, six times more likely to be Buddhist and five times more likely to be Muslim. Doctors are less likely than the general population to “apply their religious beliefs to other areas of life.” Sixty-one percent of doctors say they “try to make sense” of a difficult situation and “decide what to do without relying on God,” versus only 29% of the general population. The survey used a 12-page questionnaire mailed to a random sample of 2,000 US practicing physicians; 63% responded to one of three mailings. The researchers did not find evidence that religious physicians were more likely to respond that those who are not religious. The research is reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.