The Planetary Health Integration Project with UBC Medicine gathering patient / community perspectives through virtual focus groups or one-on-one interviews. The aim of these conversations are to explore experiences of climate change and perceptions of planetary health, and how it can be integrated within medical education.
This project is led by medical students Jenna Burke and Crystal Gong, Curriculum Director, Dr Adrian Yee and Dr Angela Towle.
Planetary Health is a broad term that describes the collective health of the environment and humans. This has connections to climate change, public health, water security and resource extraction/ development. Planetary health also encompasses people’s connection with the land and natural ecosystems.
As a result of this project, they will create a proposal that will be brought forward and presented to the UBC Undergraduate Medical Education committee. This proposal will also be shared with everyone who has participated in the project.
Questions discussed include:
- Please briefly introduce yourself, the organization you represent or the perspective you bring and your interest in climate change / planetary health
- How has climate change or resource development in your community affected your health?
- How do you see climate change impacting health in your community, if at all?
- What interactions do you have with the land that make you feel healthy?
- What key topics regarding planetary health should medical students know?
- What are some of the resources medical students need to be aware of to mitigate or adapt to climate change?
- What are some tools/ resources you know about that would be most helpful to physicians and their patients?
- What disciplines, organizations, or groups do future physicians need to be familiar with to promote planetary health?
- What is one thing that you would like to see included in the medical curriculum to address environmental health?