Personal and professional impacts of medical students’ sustainable behaviors: A pilot study

Background and Objectives Medical students have contributed substantive efforts to integrate climate and health education into medical curricula. In this pilot study, we sought to gauge the impact of students’ personal commitment to pro-environmental behavior change as a potential means to further promote climate and health engagement through peer and community awareness. Methods The authors recruited 10 medical student participants to commit to a selection of well-supported pro-environmental behaviors recommended in the website Regeneration.org, such as reducing food waste. Monthly check-in responses to written questions were analyzed using thematic analysis, an established method for isolating themes from qualitative data. A post-participation exit survey gauged students’ attitudes and future priorities related to their experience. Results Ten students completed the study. The thematic analysis identified 4 themes: 1) benefits and challenges of pursuing sustainable behaviors; 2) increased awareness about such behaviors; 3) ambivalent engagement with peers; 4) ambivalence about the broader environmental impact of sustainable behaviors. In the exit survey, students consistently asserted increased awareness of their environmental impact and concern about the future. Among preferred options for promoting sustainability in a future professional role, medical students selected leading by example and working to reduce the carbon output of health care facilities. Discussion While medical students demonstrated a high level of personal satisfaction and adherence to sustainable behaviors, their commitment did not translate importantly to conversations with others, activism, or sense of professional responsibility. Commitment to sustainable behaviors could have greater impact if supported by institutional incentives and incorporated as a learning tool for counseling patients about ways to protect their health while reducing harmful exposures to climate change.