Medical Students vs. Climate Change: Will They Be Prepared?
Ah, the irony! We’ve got a bunch of future doctors still trying to figure out how to differentiate between a stethoscope and a thermometer, yet the world is melting faster than a popsicle on a summer’s day. That’s right, folks! As the European Network on Climate and Health Education (ENCHE) struts onto the scene like a superhero that forgot to wear a cape, we’ve got to ask: is our medical education system actually ready for the climate crisis?
So, What’s the Problem?
Despite the undeniable link between climate and health remaining one of the biggest challenges of our time—because apparently, ice caps aren’t the only things melting—most European medical schools aren’t even cracking open a textbook on this topic. Instead, these hopeful healers are relying on the whims of their professors or the enthusiasm of their peers. It’s like teaching a dog to swim by throwing it in the deep end! Spoiler: some fetch, some sink.
As Dr. Ana Rakovac, a very busy consultant and climate advocate, pointed out, the health needs of Europeans are changing faster than a chameleon at a disco. The north turns wet and wild, while the south gets hot and parched. And yet, our med students are like, “What’s that? Dengue? Sounds like a fun dinner dish!” Unfortunately, with over 130 locally acquired cases of dengue reported last year in Europe, it’s not just a casual dining experience anymore. It’s a full-blown buffet of unforeseen illnesses!
Becoming the Medics of the Future
Enter ENCHE, which is basically the Avengers of climate and health education. They’re on a mission to train at least 10,000 medical students in the intricate dance between climate change and health care over the next three years. Not just your average “read this chapter” approach; we’re talking about heavy-hitting, scientifically backed education that actually prepares these future healers. Because why should patients suffer due to a doctor’s lack of climate knowledge? They already have to deal with staff who think “lettuce” is something fancy for a salad.
Anthony Goodings, a final-year medical student, hit the nail on the head when he said current courses contain “minimal” coverage of climate change impacts on health. It’s high time medical schools figure out that teaching students how to recognize a heart attack is awesome, but knowing how to handle tropical diseases popping up in the EU is paramount. It’s like ignoring the fact that your toaster is on fire because you’re focused on making the perfect toast!
A Collaborative Approach
With the backing of 25 medical schools across various countries and the support of the health sector, ENCHE aims to integrate climate change education comprehensively. It’s like getting everyone in the band to play the same song, rather than each member doing their own thing. Although, let’s be honest: that’s how most of us feel walking into a karaoke night!
Can We Cut the Lip Service?
Professor Colin Doherty of Trinity College Dublin gets it; he doesn’t want this to be a tick-box exercise. He wants real, meaty education on the environmental impacts of health care, so when med students encounter their first snowstorm of climate-related diseases, they don’t panic like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
And to be fair, there is a genuine appetite among the youth for issues surrounding climate. If today’s medical students are chomping at the bit to learn about the health effects of climate change, perhaps the medical educators should take a page out of their book and start picking up a few science articles, rather than just scrolling through TikTok.
In closing—because I can see your eyes glazing over like a donut—if coming graduates don’t know how climate change is reshaping their potential future careers, what hope do average citizens have? We need to stop giving this topic the ol’ British stiff upper lip treatment and start preparing a generation of doctors truly equipped to tackle this impending crisis. After all, you wouldn’t want your doctor to think “carbon footprint” is just another term for a fancy shoe, would you?
