Healthy people need a healthy planet. Medical students from the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine are working to raise awareness about planetary health, a concept gaining increasing recognition in medical education and research.
“I’m very passionate about preventative health, and environmental risk factors play an important role in it,” said MD student Quyen Pham. “Low-income and underserved communities are often the most impacted by environmental hazards, and I think it is important to learn about these issues in order to better serve our future patients.”
Pham authored the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Planetary Health Report Card, a student-led movement that rates the role of planetary health in medical education curricula, research, community initiatives, and other areas. Medical students Alex Nguyen and Hardeep Tiwana served as co-authors on the report with faculty mentor Anne Grossman MD, FACP.
“The Planetary Health Report Card provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their program’s efforts in teaching planetary health and its connection to overall well-being,” Pham said. “The MD program at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is continuously making positive changes to incorporate more planetary health content into the curriculum, but I think it is important to remember that there is always room for growth and improvement. Not only the MD program, but other health programs and the campus as a whole can continue striving to better care for ourselves, our patients, and our environment.”