From a C to an A Grade: How Imperial College School of Medicine Improved Its Planetary Health Education.
- 1Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Abstract
Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and other planetary health threats present significant risks to human health, requiring future doctors to integrate sustainable healthcare principles into clinical practice. Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) used the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) to evaluate and improve its curriculum and institutional sustainability. ICSM implemented targeted interventions, including integrating planetary health content longitudinally across modules, embedding clinically relevant teaching, expanding student-selected learning opportunities, enhancing communication training, and developing patient-facing resources with NHS partners. Key enablers included collaboration between students and faculty, and recognising sustainability as integral to good clinical care. Despite challenges around limited curriculum space, this approach demonstrates that planetary health can be effectively embedded without overburdening existing structures. The PHRC provides a useful framework for reflection and continuous improvement, offering a practical model for other medical schools seeking to strengthen sustainability and planetary health within undergraduate medical education.
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BibTeX
@article{meyers2026from,
title = {{From a C to an A Grade: How Imperial College School of Medicine Improved Its Planetary Health Education.}},
author = {Hollie Meyers and Arti Maini and Richard J Pinder and Nikul Kotecha and Aden J Ho and Amir H Sam},
journal = {Advances in medical education and practice},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/amep.s620258},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909150},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From a C to an A Grade: How Imperial College School of Medicine Improved Its Planetary Health Education.
AU - Hollie Meyers
AU - Arti Maini
AU - Richard J Pinder
AU - Nikul Kotecha
AU - Aden J Ho
AU - Amir H Sam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Advances in medical education and practice
DO - 10.2147/amep.s620258
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909150
AB - Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and other planetary health threats present significant risks to human health, requiring future doctors to integrate sustainable healthcare principles into clinical practice. Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) used the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) to evaluate and improve its curriculum and institutional sustainability. ICSM implemented targeted interventions, including integrating planetary health content longitudinally across modules, embedding clinically relevant teaching, expanding student-selected learning opportunities, enhancing communication training, and developing patient-facing resources with NHS partners. Key enablers included collaboration between students and faculty, and recognising sustainability as integral to good clinical care. Despite challenges around limited curriculum space, this approach demonstrates that planetary health can be effectively embedded without overburdening existing structures. The PHRC provides a useful framework for reflection and continuous improvement, offering a practical model for other medical schools seeking to strengthen sustainability and planetary health within undergraduate medical education.
SN - 1179-7258
ER -