News: SLMCCM and Dutch medical students learn together about planetary health and climate-resilient health systems
| October 18, 2023
Medical students from St. Luke’s and the Netherlands learn together about planetary health and climate-resilient health systems in the virtual classroom
The Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine-William H. Quasha Memorial (SLMCCM-WHQM) collaborated with the EWUU Alliance based in the Netherlands—composed of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Utrecht University (UU) and University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht)—in offering an online certificate course for SLMCCM and Dutch medical students focused on planetary health and climate-resilient health systems last February 28 to April 3, 2023.
Fourteen SLMCCM students representing various year levels were carefully selected to participate in this comprehensive course. The curriculum covered topics such as planetary health, sustainable healthcare practices, health systems, climate resilience, and health equity and justice. Through interactive online lectures, self-paced modules, and cross-border collaborations with students from the Netherlands, participating SLMCCM students not only gained valuable insights but also shared their experiences of today’s pressing health issues. Additionally, online and in-person sessions with SLMCCM mentors enhanced their learning experience.
“We now live in a globalized world facing serious planetary health challenges, and we need future physicians who know how to tackle these problems and how to work with international collaborators, ” said Dr. Renzo Guinto, Director of the St. Luke’s Planetary and Global Health Program. “This course is one of St. Luke’s contributions in producing the doctors of the future.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Dianne Cunanan, an SLMCCM alumna and course participant, shared her perspective: “Engaging in this global and planetary health course has been truly enlightening. One great thing about this course lies in its ability to bring together participants from both the Global North and Global South, facilitating a valuable exchange of perspectives and fostering unity through comparison and collaboration. It broadened my comprehension of the interplay between human well-being and the environment. As a clinical practitioner, it has motivated me to actively contribute to a more sustainable healthcare future.”
For more information about the course, the complete syllabus can be found here.
SLMCCM students during the in-person mentoring session with Dr. Renzo Guinto
Planetary health is both serious and fun – according to SLMCCM students who participated in the course