Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Educational Approach
3. Impact on Medical Education
- Practical communication skills:
- ◦
- Enhanced proficiency in communicating with future patients about dietary choices, emphasizing the crucial link between nutrition and health. To actively promote healthier eating habits in clinical settings, course elements may be integrated into patient education programs, such as hands-on cooking with regeneratively farmed foods;
- Commitment to institutional change:
- ◦
- Commitment to implementing sustainable food practices within future clinical settings and translating personal choices into a proactive stance on healthcare sustainability. Readiness to influence institutional policies and contribute to broader healthcare sustainability initiatives, to ensure a tangible impact beyond individual actions;
- Cross-disciplinary appreciation:
- ◦
- Acquired appreciation for cross-disciplinary collaboration in healthcare, recognizing the relevance of non-human fields of study (plant and animal agriculture, economics, and environmental sciences) in shaping holistic healthcare solutions. Eagerness to actively seek collaboration with professionals from diverse fields to integrate a broader perspective into future healthcare initiatives;
- Community health initiatives:
- ◦
- Pledge to initiate projects, acting on the responsibility towards community health. Plans include collaborating with local farmers, establishing community gardens, and advocating for healthier food options in underserved areas, ensuring a practical contribution to community well-being;
- Educational outreach vision:
- ◦
- Recognizing the potential for broader impact through educational outreach beyond academic institutions, with the vision of collaborating with community organizations and policymakers. Intent to disseminate knowledge about sustainable food systems actively to reach a broader audience;
- Preventive care approach:
- ◦
- Utilizing culinary medicine as a proactive form of preventive care with a positive impact on community health, incorporating culinary medicine sessions into community settings, schools, and healthcare institutions. This aims to instill healthy eating habits from an early age, ensuring a practical contribution to long-term community health;
- Political activism for systemic change:
- ◦
- Commitment to political activism from recognizing the interconnectedness of agriculture, the environment, and healthcare outcomes. This commitment extends to engaging in political advocacy for broader systemic changes, beyond healthcare-exclusive policies.
4. Transformative Potential
5. Future Directions
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Learning Environment | Topic | Presenter(s) | Overview |
---|---|---|---|
Classroom | Planetary Health | Physician: Clinical Associate Professor Internal Medicine | Introduction of planetary health serves as a foundational lecture for the course. Extractive processes and nature-based solutions help expand students’ thought in their approach to understanding problems and applying the process of innovation. |
Food Systems | Professor, Food Systems and Nutritional Sciences | Introduction to systems thinking and understanding the role of impact analysis of food choices on sustainability. | |
Food Transport | Registered Dietician; Non-profit produce distributor | The journey of food, emphasizing the importance of sustainable supply chains and food security. | |
Food Production | Professor, Agronomy; Director of Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative | Industrial and regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and their societal and clinical implications. Aspects include corn and soybean rotation, miscanthus, and perennial rice, as well as societal and clinical implications of industrial agriculture. | |
Stakeholders Panel | Farmers processors, distributors, and retailers of sustainable food | Connect students with local stakeholders in the organic and regenerative sectors, providing diverse perspectives from community leaders including farmers, processors, distributors, and retailers. | |
Gut Microbiome | Physician: Clinical Associate Professor Internal Medicine Gastroenterologist | Overview of the human gut microbiome in health and disease and new areas of research. | |
Nutrition | Professor, Food System, and Nutritional Sciences | Discussing nutrition in a clinical setting, exploring the role of food habits in patient engagement through interactive platforms such as US MyPlate and Tiny Habits. | |
Economics | Associate Professor, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems; Food systems analyst | Economic aspects of food systems and the costs of lifestyle diseases. | |
Technologies | Professor, Food System and Nutritional Sciences | Role of existing technology and future innovations in food systems, evaluating its impact on society and cultures. | |
Advocacy/Policy | Associate Professor and Director, Agricultural Policy Program | The Farm Bill’s impact on modern agriculture and food insecurity in the United States. The significance of political activism in medicine. | |
Food Safety | Associate Professor, Applied Food Safety | Addressing food safety and infectious disease in public health and clinical practice. Understanding biases against aspects of food systems and better reconciling thoughts about industrialization and conventional agricultural practices. | |
Animal Agriculture | Clinical Veterinarian: Teaching Assistant Professor Public Health and Epidemiology | Understanding sustainable food systems and soil regeneration by evaluating conventional and organic animal husbandry practices. | |
Clinical | Gastroenterologist Shadowing | Physician: Clinical Associate Professor Internal Medicine Gastroenterologist | Students shadow a gastroenterologist, gaining insights into the clinical context of gut health. |
Experiential and Community | Mobile Market | Director of hospital community health initiatives | Students visit a community solution for improving food security—a bus that brings free healthy food to underserved populations. |
Hospital Food Services | Director of hospital food services | Students explore the application of sustainable food practices in a community hospital system aiming to improve the health of their patients and planet. | |
Regenerative Farm | Farmer practicing regenerative agriculture | Students visit a local farm practicing regenerative agriculture and community food justice via equitable food distribution. | |
Culinary Medicine | Chef and Registered Dietician | Preparation of a sustainable and healthy meal to deepen student understanding of food sourcing, food-growing practices, and their relationship with food, nutrition, health, and the planet. |
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Goldman, M.; Vaidyam, A.; Parupalli, S.; Rosencranz, H.; Ramkumar, D.; Ramkumar, J. Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century. Challenges 2024, 15, 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010006
Goldman M, Vaidyam A, Parupalli S, Rosencranz H, Ramkumar D, Ramkumar J. Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century. Challenges. 2024; 15(1):6. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010006
Chicago/Turabian StyleGoldman, Modan, Aditya Vaidyam, Sindhu Parupalli, Holly Rosencranz, Davendra Ramkumar, and Japhia Ramkumar. 2024. "Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century" Challenges 15, no. 1: 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15010006