Introduction: Spirituality is widely recognized as an important dimension of health, yet its integration into modern medical practice remains inconsistent. This narrative review examines existing literature regarding spiritual care in medicine, physicians’ attitudes toward spiritual discussions, and the role of medical education in preparing clinicians to address patients’ spiritual needs.

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and other academic search platforms. Searches using combinations of terms such as spiritual care, physician spirituality, spiritual history, medical education, and religion, yielded more than 10,000 articles. After screening titles and abstracts, 38 articles were selected for in-depth qualitative analysis. This was done using a 15-question assessment tool designed to identify recurring themes, including patients’ desire for spiritual discussion, relationships between spirituality and health outcomes, physician preparedness, and the role of professional organizations and medical education in promoting spiritual competency. Most included studies were published within the past 10 years, with several seminal works included.

Discussion: The literature suggests that many patients value spiritual engagement in their care. However, physicians frequently avoid these discussions due to time constraints, limited training, and concerns about professional boundaries. Despite recommendations from professional organizations to incorporate spiritual care training, implementation within medical curricula remains inconsistent.

Recommendations: Medical education should incorporate structured training in spiritual assessment tools (e.g., FICA or HOPE), clarify distinctions between spirituality and religion, and prepare clinicians to recognize, address, and appropriately refer patients’ spiritual concerns.