Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century

Modan Goldman, Aditya Vaidyam, Sindhu Parupalli, Holly Rosencranz, Davendra Ramkumar and Japhia Ramkumar ()
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Modan Goldman: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Aditya Vaidyam: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Sindhu Parupalli: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Holly Rosencranz: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Davendra Ramkumar: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Japhia Ramkumar: Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Challenges, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: This is a report on an inaugural medical student elective, Microbiomes Matter: The Path to Regenerative Systems of Farm, Food, and Health , from the perspective of the student participants. Recognizing food as medicine is gaining support across many settings. However, little is known about how medical schools engage in this holistic approach. Integrating food systems and the connections to soil and human health through microbiomes into medical education represents a transformative shift towards more holistic healthcare practices. We describe the course content and impact of a medical school elective in food systems. This elective employed a systems lens and planetary health perspective to explore the impact of climatic factors and environmental degradation on farms, nutrition, and non-communicable lifestyle diseases. Through the two-week course, medical students gained insights into sustainable food systems, supply chains, and the importance of regenerative agriculture. The course also provided a comprehensive overview of the gut microbiome, nutrition, technologies, and the economics of food systems, including their impact on lifestyle diseases. By fostering a systems-oriented mindset, this elective better equips medical students to address the complex challenges of human and planetary health and promote regenerative, sustainable, culturally sensitive, and robust systems of farm, food, and health.

Keywords: planetary health; food systems; regenerative agriculture; microbiomes; sustainability; climate change; nutrition; medical education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 C00 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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