Christina Puchalski, M.D.
Biography

Christina Puchalski, M.D., serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Care Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.  She is the founder and director of The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), a center that develops educational, clinical and research programs for physicians and other healthcare professionals regarding the role of spirituality and health in medicine.  Her goal is to help foster compassionate systems of care for patients and their families.

Dr. Puchalski completed a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a Master's degree in Biology at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. She received her Medical Degree from George Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Puchalski  began her career as a research scientist and doctoral candidate,  studying rare genetic diseases at the National Institutes of Health.  Her attention however, was constantly drawn away from her test tubes toward human beings, especially the elderly and chronically ill.  Today this interest continues in her clinical practice in internal medicine and geriatrics.

When Dr. Puchalski entered George Washington University School of Medicine, she found very little attention paid to patients experiences, to the nature of suffering, to how physicians can help.  As a student resident and eventually an attending physician and faculty member, she set out to change the teaching and practice of medicine.

Dr. Puchalski is known globally as a leader in the field of spirituality and health.  She is a recognized pioneer in this field, especially in curriculum development. She is a national leader in helping to enhance physician's communication skills and to integrate spirituality, a patient's values and beliefs, into medical care. Her curriculum has received honors and has been the model for innovative curricula throughout the healthcare profession.  Through her efforts, over 75% of medical schools teach courses in spirituality and health.

Dr. Puchalski practices what she preaches, spending unusual amounts of time listening to her patients, whether they are young and healthy or in hospice.  She gets energy from her connection with patients ~ it gives meaning to her life.  She feels that it's important to know how people find meaning in life in the midst of illness, in the midst of crisis ~ what sustains them, what helps them cope.

Dr. Puchalski has been published widely in peer-review journals, as well as other national journals and media outlets.  She is the recipient of the AAMC and Pfizer's Award for the Medical Humanities Initiative and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey's Faculty Humanism in Medicine Award.  Dr. Puchalski's work in the field of spirituality and medicine encompasses the clinical, academic and pastoral application of her research and insights.

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