Abstract:
University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine is undergoing an historical transition which has involved departmental reorganization and creation of several new departments including the Division of Ecology and Health. In establishing this new unit, the US medical school leadership recognized the importance of addressing the cultural and ecological dimensions of health in research and education programs toward achieving the medical school’s vision to become the premier US medical school in the Asia-Pacific region. The Division’s establishment also was compelled by school’s mission to serve the unique health needs of the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, particularly those of indigenous populations with particularly high rates of chronic disease and significant community health issues. This especially depends on innovative, community-based, ecological approaches to research and practice, and integrating concepts at the interface of ecological and health sciences into the medical curriculum. Planning and beginning to implement this integration is one the Division’s early objectives. The approach being taken is based on the use of themes emerging from the new biomedical–behavioral synthesis and the application of ecological concepts, principles, and models. The former involves existing basic science subject matter already taught, which can be conceptually framed and interrelated in terms of the latter. Together, these themes and an ecohealth perspective will facilitate basic science learning by providing a more comprehensive and meaningful conceptual matrix to interrelate basic science concepts and facts. The opportunities and impediments to integrating ecohealth within the curriculum take the form of bridges and barriers. Opportunities exist where linkages can be, and already have been, made between disciplines and departments to encourage interdisciplinary learning and transdisciplinary problem-solving drawing on ecological themes and concepts. Apprehension toward unfamiliar scientific territory and competing demands represent significant barriers. These are nonetheless believed to be surmountable over time, especially by exploiting ecohealth’s transdisciplinary dimension to facilitate and enrich the learning experience, rather than adding ecohealth-related subject matter as a learning objective to an already full curriculum and student workload.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
JL Aron JA Patz (2001) Ecosystem Change and Public Health: A Global Perspective Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore
C Boelen (1993) ArticleTitleThe challenge of changing medical education and medical practice World Health Forum 14 213–252
A Dowell P Crampton C Parkin (2001) ArticleTitleThe first sunrise: an experience of cultural immersion and community health needs assessment by undergraduate medical students in New Zealand Medical Education 2001 35 249–342
CK Ewart (1991) ArticleTitleSocial action theory for a public health psychology American Pyschologist 46 931–946
NH Gottlieb KR McLeroy (1994) Social health MP O’Donnell JS Harris (Eds) Health Promotion in the Workplace Delmar Albany, NY 459–493
IOM (Institute of Medicine) (2000) Bridging Disciplines in the Brain, Behavioral, and Clinical Sciences, Washington, DC: National Academy Press
IOM (Institute of Medicine) (2001) Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological, Behavioral, and Societal Influences, Washington, DC: National Academy Press
JABSOM (John A. Burns School of Medicine) (2001) Guidelines for Proposing a New Curriculum, Honolulu, HI: JABSOM Curriculum Committee
JABSOM (John A. Burns School of Medicine) (2002a) Community Medicine Handbook, 2002–2003 ed., Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii
JABSOM (John A. Burns School of Medicine) (2002b) Educational Philosophy of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, June 2002 ed., Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii
JABSOM (John A. Burns School of Medicine) (2002c) General Guide to the MD Program, 2002–2003 ed., Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii
G Kinder SB Cashman SD Seifer A Inouye A Hagopian (2000) ArticleTitleIntegrating healthy community concepts into health professions training Public Health Reports 113 266–270
SM Macleod HN McCullough (1994) ArticleTitleSocial science as a component of medical training Social Science and Medicine 39 1367–1373
KR McLeroy D Bibeau A Steckler K Glanz (1988) ArticleTitleAn ecological perspective on health promotion programs Health Education Quarterly 15 351–377
T McMichael (2001) Human Frontiers, Environments, and Disease: Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK
NRC (National Research Council) (2001) New Horizons in Health: An Integrative Approach, Washington, DC: National Academy Press
S Orbell C Abraham (1993) ArticleTitleBehavioural sciences and real world: report of a community interview scheme for medical students Medical Education 1993 27 218–228
M Stewart JB Brown WW Weston IR McWhinney CL McWilliam TR Freeman (Eds) (1995) Patient-Centered Medicine: Transforming the Clinical Method Sage Publications Thousand Oaks, CA
D Stokols (1992) ArticleTitleEstablishing and maintaining health environments: toward a social ecology of health promotion American Psychologist 47 6–22
D Stokols (1996) ArticleTitleTranslation of social ecological theory into guidelines for community health promotion American Journal of Health Promotion 10 282–298
AG Tansley (1935) ArticleTitleThe use and abuse of vegetational concepts and terms Ecology 16 284–307
JA Leeuwen ParticleVan D Waltner-Toews T Abernathy B Smit (1999) ArticleTitleEvolving models of human health toward an ecosystem context Ecosystem Health 5 204–219
D Wasylenki N Byrne B McRobb (1997) ArticleTitleThe social contract challenge in medical education Medical Education 31 250–258
WHO (World Health Organization) (1948) The Constitution, Geneva: World Health Organization
WHO (World Health Organization) (1986) The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. World Health Organization Region Publication for Europe, Serial 44:1–7
WRI (World Resources Institute) (1998) 1998–99 World Resources—A Guide to the Global Environment: Environmental Change and Human Health, Washington, DC: World Resources Institute
WRI (World Resources Institute) (2000) 2000–2001 World Resources—People and Ecosystems: The Fraying Web of Life, Washington, DC: World Resources Institute
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilcox, B.A., Kasuya, R.T. Integrating Ecohealth into a Medical School Curriculum: A Vision of the Future at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. EcoHealth 1 (Suppl 1), S34–S42 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0111-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0111-9