Climate Change Curriculum in a Network of US Family Medicine Residency Programs

Background Physicians require climate-related training, but not enough is known about actual or desired training at the graduate medical education level. Objective To quantify the climate curriculum provided within a network of family medicine residency programs in the Northwestern United States, to assess barriers to adoption of climate curricula, and to identify preferred climate-related content, delivery methods, and program actions. Methods In fall 2021, residents and faculty in a family medicine residency network responded to a 25-item, anonymous, online survey about climate-related training within their programs. Likert scales were used to assess the extent of current and desired climate curricula in respondent programs, and a paired samples t test was used to compare them. Drop-down menus and frequencies were used to identify top barriers to integration of a climate curriculum, and preferred curricular content, delivery methods, and program actions. Results Responses were received from 19.3% (246 of 1275) of potential respondents. Nearly ninety percent (215 of 240) reported little or no climate content in their programs. Respondents desired significantly more climate-related training (t[237]=18.17; P<.001; Cohen’s d=1.18) but identified several barriers, including insufficient time/competing curricular priorities (80.7%, 192 of 238), concern about the political/controversial nature of the topic (27.3%, 65 of 238), and perceived irrelevance (10.9%, 26 of 238). More respondents selected integration of climate content throughout relevant didactics (62.2%, 145 of 233) than other delivery methods. Over 42% of respondents selected each of the climate-related topics and program actions suggested. Conclusions Despite a number of barriers, most family medicine faculty and residents desire significantly more climate-related content in their training curricula.