Today’s medical students will be on the front lines of clinical medicine in the Anthropocene, the geologic era marked by human activity and climate change. Climate-driven exposures harm patients and increasingly intense natural disasters disrupt healthcare delivery. A patient’s experience of harm and resulting health consequences interfaces broadly with social determinates of health. At the same time, many of the actions needed to address climate change – to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a more sustainable future — also benefit health. This virtual elective is designed for M3 and M4 students who are interested in furthering their understanding of the intersection of the climate crisis and clinical medicine.
This 4 week course will cover Climate Change and Emerging Clinical Challenges, Climate Solutions for the Healthcare Sector, and Communicating about Climate Change. Students will learn about recognizing, managing, and mitigating the many-faceted consequences of climate change for health and healthcare delivery that they will face in their practice. Core lectures by climate and health experts from around the country anchor the elective. Readings, supplemental activities and virtual small group exercises are suggested and can be tailored to place and geography.
Thank you to all the faculty experts who lent their time and expertise to make this course possible. And thank you to all the students for bringing this course to life with your enthusiasm and engagement …and for how you will carry these lessons forward in your practice. ~Becca Philipsborn, MD, MPA
Revisit this post to view recordings of each lecture. Comment and let us know what you think about this curriculum. Reach out to Dr. Philipsborn if you want to learn more, re-purpose the course content, or continue the conversation!