Climate Change in Medicine SIG

   We are a group of medical and health professionals students that seek to educate our peers about the relationship between climate and health. Our organization has been crucial in advocating for curriculum change at KUMC to incorporate climate-related topics. Already, this has included multiple CBCL/PBL learning objectives as well as a lecture in ITD dedicated to environmental health. Beyond academic changes, we also strive to provide students with opportunities within the community that seeks to make our communities and environment healthier. 

    Currently, our group is collaborating with KU-Lawrence, KUMC, and CleanAirNow on a project that aims to bring people together across areas of knowledge and experience to help build a stronger understanding of the local perception of climate change health impacts through interprofessional collaboration. This work is in concert with individuals and community leaders in Wyandotte County as well as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. 

   Our goal is to inform the general public about climate change, specifically the future leaders in medicine. Environmental changes are presently occurring, and their impact in health care can be seen today. Our goal for this group is to inform students about the current state of climate change, and how individually they can address this issue. In this interest group, we will discuss environmental ethics, how the changing climate will impact future generations and their health, and our responsibilities as health professionals to understand these changes in order to effectively treat our patients.