Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause about 250 000 additional deaths per year.1 This does not include deaths from pollution, mental illness, extreme weather events and resultant migration and conflict, all of which carry significant morbidity and mortality risks. The medical profession has a responsibility to prepare practitioners and the health system for the escalating challenges of this health crisis.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.5694/mja2.51737

A planetary health–organ system map to integrate climate change and health content into medical curricula

PurposeWithin the context of a review of a Doctor of Medicine graduate curriculum, medical students partnered with faculty staff to co-develop a novel curriculum resource exemplifying the integration of planetary determinants of health into existing medical curricula. MethodWe undertook qualitative methodologies involving a planetary health literature review and curriculum mapping exercise in three parts between April 2018 - May 2021. In part one, a student focus group sought students perceptions on opportunities for climate-change related teaching. Part two involved two 5-hour workshops that mapped planetary health principles to classical organ systems-based teaching areas. Part three consisted of curriculum mapping expert review. ResultsParticipatory workshops involved 26 students and positioned students as leaders and partners in curriculum development alongside academics and clinicians. Final synthesis produced a comprehensive infographic rich document covering seven organ systems plus healthcares ecological footprint, the role of medical students and opportunities for applied skills and behaviours. ConclusionsThe student-staff co-production method adopted here promotes higher order relational and extended abstract reasoning by students, the ultimate task of any higher education. This approach, and the open access resource generated, provides an integrated and novel planetary health framework, supporting students to be leaders for a sustainable future. Practice Points[1] This project provides a methodology to overcome barriers to curriculum-wide integration of planetary determinants of health and a template to move beyond stand-alone planetary health workshops or population health case studies. [2] Student and educator co-development of planetary health teaching and learning resources promotes higher order relational and extended abstract reasoning by students, the ultimate task of any higher education. [3] Integrating planetary health supports emerging clinicians in all areas of medicine to be leaders for a sustainable future.

https://medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.23.21265688v1.full.pdf

Mapping climate change and health into the medical curriculum: co-development of a "planetary health - organ system map" for graduate medical education

Benjamin Watson

Papers

Mapping climate change and health into the medical curriculum: co-development of a "planetary health - organ system map" for graduate medical education