This is an open meeting of public health educators in undergraduate medical education. It is the fifth in a series of annual meetings at which teachers in public health and related disciplines from medical schools across the UK share their ideas and expertise to enhance public health learning.
This year’s theme reflects a growing concern about the place of education around climate change and environmental sustainability in the public health curriculum for doctors.
Many health professionals feel that climate change will have a significant impact on both the proximal and distal determinants of health, and may radically change they way in which public health medicine is conceived of and practiced.
Although there is widespread support for the sustainable development agenda among public health professionals, there are few health-related teaching materials available at the undergraduate level. Two medical schools are currently offering student-selected modules, and several others are in development.
This workshop will bring together national and international resources to help public health educators re-conceptualise the wider determinants of health for medical students and integrate new findings and perspectives into existing curricula.
Aims of the meeting:
o To share examples of effective educational approaches to help students understand the links between health and climate change as a part of the wider determinants of health.
o To review newly developed materials and adapt them for use in our own institutions.
Preparation:
o Delegates to familiarise themselves with their School's current provision in this area.
o Delegates to review existing materials available online (see below)
o Health professionals are asked to sign the pledge at www.climateandhealth.org.
Please upload articles, events, resources and actionsExperiences of public health action and learning for climate change, contributed to the site by participants. (examples of things already happening) and link them to the Climate Change in Medical Schools connection on this site. Alternatively, please submit teaching and learning materials that you would like to share to Stefi Barna.
www.carbonaddict.org is a lighthearted way for medics to learn about the links between healthy and sustainable lifestyles, and what they can do about it. Feel free to post ideas for new symptoms/diagnostic approaches on the “Scientific Debate” page.
WHO Health and Climate Change
http://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/en/
http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session30/ipcc-letter-inv-org-p30.pdf
http://www.who.int/world-health-day/toolkit/report_web.pdf
Draft Programme
Delegates who wish to make a brief presentation on a different topic or take the lead on an area of discussion should contact Steve Gillam or Veena Rodrigues by 15 May so that we can adjust the timetable accordingly.
10.00 Registration / Coffee
10.15 Welcome and announcements - Dr Steve Gillam (Director, Undergraduate Public Health Teaching, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge)
10.45 Joining up education with NHS and workforce goals/skills - Dr David Pencheon (Director, NHS Sustainable Development Unit)
11.30 Tea break
12.00 Panel:
- WHO Health and Climate Change educational activities and materials - WHO Speaker (tbc)
- Student Selected Modules - Dr Lindley Owen, Mustafa Abbas (Medsin Heathy Planet) and others
- Subject specific teaching materials, slide packs and activities - Dr Frances Mortimer (The Climate Connection)
13.00 Lunch
13.45 Workshop: Course & Module Development
14.45 Mini-presentations - workshop groups
15.15 Tea break
15.45 Network next steps
- semi-annual meetings?
- open space
16.30 Close
