By Jamie Hansen, Global Health Communications Manager

The Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health is pleased to announce the release of a new publication evaluating the Medicine for a Changing Planet (MCP) curriculum. This web-based initiative aims to integrate planetary health and one health principles into medical education, addressing a significant gap in current training programs.

The study, led by colleagues at the University of Washington, utilized a mixed methods approach to assess the effectiveness of the MCP curriculum, engaging residents in interactive clinical cases focused on pressing environmental health issues. Findings indicate that participation in the curriculum significantly improved residents’ understanding of the ways in which climate and environmental changes affect health.

Dr. Michele Barry, a co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of integrating climate into medical curriculum and training. “As we confront the realities of climate change, which disproportionately impact our most vulnerable patients, it is essential that medical education evolves to equip future healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills necessary to address these challenges.”

Feedback from participants underscores the need for educational programs to reflect the interconnectedness of human and environmental health. As the landscape of global health continues to evolve, advocacy for curricula that incorporate these crucial principles becomes increasingly vital.

For this reason, Barry said, CIGH is proud to support CLIME, a new initiative led by Drs. Barb Erny and Desiree LaBeaud, to comprehensively integrate climate into medical education at Stanford and beyond.

Explore the full publication here.