Empowering medical students in the climate crisis: elective curriculum for undergraduate medical education

Climate change has a widespread impact on human disease and population health. Despite calls for action from physician organizations, medical schools have been slow to integrate climate and health education into their curricula.

We designed and implemented a medical student elective focused on climate and health. The course consisted of expert-led didactics and small group discussions using case-based or journal article-based sessions to explore the intersection of climate change and health. Qualitative student feedback on the course was collected with a RedCap form after each iteration of the course.

Upon course completion, students reported greater comfort in understanding the impact of climate change on the health of their community and recognizing how climate change exacerbates health disparities. Students also noted that they hoped to integrate what they learned in their future medical practice.

This course demonstrates a feasible model for incorporating climate and health education into medical curricula that may be used by other medical schools. Such educational interventions may better prepare future physicians to address the health consequences of climate change and promote health equity.