We believe healthy people cannot exist on an unhealthy planet. Environmental hazards such as air pollution, extreme temperatures, and extreme weather – all related to climate change – threaten nearly every aspect of human health, and the magnitude of the impact is only rising. This is why future physician-leaders must be well-versed in climate science, health system environmental stewardship, health co-benefits of climate change mitigation, and the management and prevention of climate-related health hazards (e.g. heat-related illness, exacerbation of allergies, asthma, and COPD) – specifically among highly vulnerable populations.
Our vision is for graduates to become physician-leaders capable of transforming the health of diverse communities. The evolving core curriculum in planetary health will ensure are capable of positively transforming human health while helping to reverse the environmental crisis.
The vision is one of a longitudinal curriculum beginning in the first year with fundamentals of climate science, health impacts of climate-related hazards, impacts on vulnerable populations. Some curriculum will stand-alone (such as climate science fundamentals) but the hope is that other material will be taught along-side traditional courses in physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. During the second and third years, students will practice applying knowledge during their clinical rotations. Students who wish for a deeper dive into planetary health could do so while working with faculty on their Mentored Scholarly Project. Fourth year students currently have the option of taking the popular 2-week elective (see more below). This year is also a good time to finish independent projects in advocacy, quality improvement, and research.
Margaret Power