Medical students' perspectives on climate change, climate-health education, and professional identity: a qualitative study

Climate change is a global health emergency that affects both physical and mental health due to causes including heat stress, spread of vector-borne diseases, and nutritional deficiencies. As healthcare systems face growing demands, future healthcare professionals must be prepared to respond, adapt and support mitigation. This research aims to explore medical students’ perspectives on climate change, perceived climate-health education gaps in medical curricula, and how climate action manifests in their professional identity as future physicians.