An evidence-based roadmap to integrate planetary health education into the medical curriculum

Abstract

The urgency for action on climate change is regarded as the defining issue of our time. Planetary health education prepares future healthcare professionals to promote the health of the planet, including sustainable healthcare. This has potential benefits for the healthcare system, patients, community, and the environment. However, many educators are not confident in explaining and inspiring students and many deans and educational staff report challenges when integrating planetary health into education. The roadmap presented in this paper uses evidence from medical education literature to support medical schools with implementing this type of education. The roadmap can be used as a guide for educators, university leadership, and policy-makers in the design of planetary health education.

Keywords:

• Planetary health
• sustainability
• implementation in education
• roadmap

Authors contributions

All authors defined the theme of this paper. Janique Oudbier, Jeanine Suurmond, and Nicolaas H. Sperna Weiland were responsible for the first draft. Saskia Peerdeman, Tobias Boerboom, and Jan Hindrik Ravesloot helped to revise the draft critically. All authors approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janique Oudbier

Janique Oudbier, Msc, is a PhD student at the Amsterdam UMC and her PhD focuses on social accountability. She also works at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam.

Nicolaas H. Sperna Weiland

Nicolaas H. Sperna Weiland, PhD, obtained his MD at the University of Amsterdam (2012) and completed his residency in anaesthesiology at the same university (2018). One year later, he successfully defended his PhD thesis 'Cerebral Haemodynamics During Anaesthesia’ (2019). His main areas of interest are cerebrovascular physiology and environmental sustainability on the operating room. Currently, he continues to work on both topics in his position as consulting anaesthesiologist at the Amsterdam University Medical Center.

Tobias Boerboom

Dr. Tobias Boerboom, PhD, DVM, is a policy director and educationalist at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University the Netherlands.

Jan Hindrik Ravesloot

Prof. Jan Hindrik Ravesloot, PhD, MD, is a seasoned teacher in the biomedical field and is well versed in educational management.

Saskia Peerdeman

Prof Saskia Peerdeman, MD PhD, is a neurosurgeon. She is also vice-dean of education and training Amsterdam UMC- University of Amsterdam. She is a professor in transformative learning in health care.

Jeanine Suurmond

Dr. Jeanine Suurmond, PhD, is assistant professor and her research programme and teaching focuses on social accountability in medicine and on diversity-sensitive health care.