ArticlePloS one2024
Development of a curricular thread to foster medical students' critical reflection and promote action on climate change, health, and equity.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The impact of community engaged healthcare education on undergraduate students' empathy and their views towards social accountability; a mixed methods systematic review.BMC medical education · 2024Pooled it
- Environmental sustainability in medical school curriculum: a scoping review.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Teaching sustainability through disaster simulation: A framework for planetary health education.Advances in simulation (London, England) · 2026Article
- A narrative review of pedagogical approaches and action pathways for climate change education in medical and health professions training.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionDue to the health consequences arising from climate change, medical students will inevitably interact with affected patients during their training and careers. Accordingly, medical schools must incorporate education on the impacts of climate change on health and equity into their curricula. We created a curricular thread called "Climate Change, Health, and Equity" in the first-year preclinical medical program to teach foundational concepts and foster self-reflection and critical consciousness.
methodsThe authors developed a continuum of practice including administrators, educators and faculty members, students, and community partners to plan and design curricular activities. First-year medical students at Duke University School of Medicine participated in seven mandatory foundational lectures and two experiential learning opportunities in the local community. Following completion of activities, students wrote a critical reflection essay and completed a self-directed learning exercise. Essays were evaluated using the REFLECT rubric to assess if students achieved critical reflection and for thematic analysis by Bloom's Taxonomy.
resultsAll students (118) submitted essays. A random sample of 30 (25%) essays underwent analysis. Evaluation by the REFLECT rubric underscored that all students were reflecting or critically reflecting on thread content. Thematic analysis highlighted that all students (30/30, 100%) were adept at identifying new areas of medical knowledge and connecting concepts to individual experiences, institutional practices, and public health and policy. Most students (27/30; 90%) used emotionally laden words, expressing negative feelings like frustration and fear but also positive sentiments of solidarity and hope regarding climate change and effects on health. Many students (24/30; 80%) expressed actionable items at every level including continuing self-directed learning and conversing with patients, minimizing healthcare waste, and advocating for climate-friendly policies.
conclusionAfter participating in the curricular thread, most medical students reflected on cognitive, affective, and actionable aspects relating to climate change, health, and equity.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.