CPE at Atlanta Medical Center

Pastoral education has been taught at the Atlanta Medical Center for more than 50 years and began as part of the Georgia Baptist Health Care system. Chaplaincy Services at AMC is staffed by three Chaplain Residents and one Supervisor in Training. Intern Chaplains may also complete their basic unit of CPE in Fall or Spring Extended Units (around 16 weeks) or a Summer Unit (11 weeks).

The clinical experience at AMC allows for a diverse range of pastoral encounters. Chaplains are members of the Trauma team and attend traumatic admissions as a first priority. AMC has more than 50 Intensive Care Unit beds for adults, as well as a Neo-natal ICU. In addition to general medical and surgical needs, AMC serves the community by offering specialty services in a variety of areas such as oncology, labor and delivery, bariatric treatment, and two behavioral health units (one for the general population and one for geriatric patients) where Chaplains facilitate weekly Spirituality Groups. Lastly the recent opening of a Forensic Unit for state and federal prisoners allows our students a glimpse into life in a very different institution than a hospital.

Classes are held weekly and have three components intended to supplement the hands-on clinical experience. The first component is the didactics which cover topics pertaining to basic pastoral care such as spiritual assessments, addiction and mental health, family systems, and humor. Theological study and discourse is included. The second component of the curricula is the Verbatim Seminars in which actual pastoral encounters are presented and discussed by the students. Thirdly a designated time for Small Group Process is less structured to allow the group of students to focus on issues around relationships. Weekly reading and writing assignments and individual supervisory time complete the program.