Climate change is becoming a focus in medical school education

Amid rising concerns about the health impacts of climate change, medical students around the world are advocating for enhanced climate health education in their curricula.

Kiley Price reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

Harvard Medical School implemented a climate change curriculum in 2022, driven by student advocacy.
Surveys show that students find the curriculum valuable for understanding climate-related health impacts.
Similar programs are emerging in medical schools worldwide to prepare future doctors for climate health challenges.

Key quote:

"This is not just about teaching climate change, but it’s about good medicine."

— Dr. Gaurab Basu, director of education and policy, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment

Why this matters:

Extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and poor air quality are linked to a range of health problems, from respiratory issues to heat-related illnesses and vector-borne diseases. Medical students argue that understanding these connections is crucial for effective patient care and public health strategies.

insideclimatenews.org

Climate change is becoming a focus in medical school education

How Google turned its climate program into an AI booster

As the UN global climate talks lose momentum, a smaller coalition eyes a fossil fuel exit

A Michigan county claiming solar farms are a health threat isn’t alone

A new bureau will oversee both offshore drilling and seabed mining

Water is ‘white gold’ in Baja’s drying beach towns

2 studies warn infamous AMOC ocean current is in trouble

‘Cut fossil fuel industry’s lifeline’: How subsidies and petrochemicals are propping up oil and gas

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.