Sustainability course impact on medical students' environmental projects and perceptions

Abstract

Purpose: Environmental degradation presents an increasing risk, highlighting the need to provide care in an environmentally sustainable way. Literature emphasizes a need for inclusion of sustainability education in medical curricula. This study aimed to explore fifth-year medical students' perceptions of a sustainability course, and the impact of the course as evidenced by differences in projects between enrolled and non-enrolled students.

Methodology: Researchers developed an online sustainability elective course for fifth year medical students. The baseline knowledge of learners was checked by pretesting. A quasi-experimental design was adopted where projects of learners who completed the course were compared to those who did not enroll in the course. Then, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the perception of learners by the end of the course.

Findings: 338 students enrolled in the course. The learners' post course projects were statistically significant better in the group who completed the course (p=0.01). Most students were willing to enroll in more courses about sustainability (87.6%). Most of the students (97.6%) agreed that the course helped them to improve their practices towards the environment. Additionally, most students (42.9%) disagreed that the university involves them in limiting its negative impact on the environment.

Value: Learners who completed the sustainability course achieved better on their projects than their peers who weren't enrolled on the course, and they developed a positive perception towards sustainability. As sustainability is becoming an emerging competency in medical education, there is a need for more educational activities.

Keywords: sustainability, elective, curriculum, medical students.