Senior Resident

PGY3

Increasing your exposure to the field of climate and health will help you decide if you want to pursue this as a career. We recommend joining different local and/or national organizations depending on your interest. Many local regions have organizations for health care providers to learn about and act upon the health effects of climate change. Some larger hospitals and hospital systems have sustainability directors and/or departments which can be valuable resources if you are interested in exploring climate-smart health care. National groups like SAEM have interest groups to connect with members that share a similar interest in climate change and health. Notable groups to explore include the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, Health Care Without Harm, and Practice Greenhealth, among others.

PGY4

If you are training in a four-year program, the last year provides you an opportunity to pursue a meaningful project and learn more about climate and health. You can assess the needs within your own community or healthcare system in order to decide if you can work with a group to improve the sustainability of your hospital or clinics. You can also develop and pursue a research project if an opportunity presents itself. The extra time allows an opportunity to learn more about climate change and health policy by reading resources like the Lancet Countdown, National Climate Assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, and more.