Education as a cure for nostalgia

[摘要] Swiss physician Johannes Hofer coined the term ‘nostalgia’ in his 1688 medical dissertation from the Greek ‘nostos’, or homecoming, and ‘algos’, or pain.1This time of year, with its cascades of vibrantly coloured leaves, is also the start of the academic calendar. Even with the challenges that beset primary health care, autumn brings the promise of a winter renewal, not least through teaching and learning. I find it hard not to feel a little nostalgic about the ‘back to school’ season. A powerful narrative of teaching and learning links the articles in this issue’s Life & Times.THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW A key goal of education today is to prepare learners for the challenges of tomorrow. For today’s and tomorrow’s GPs to be able to engage with climate-related health threats in partnership with their patients, medical curricula must shape teaching and learning now. Royal College of General Practitioners Curriculum Lead for Planetary Health, Suchita Shah, discusses what this means for GP education.2 Although GPs may well be aware that the ‘climate emergency’ is also a ‘health emergency’, many of us do not make the connection with clinical practice when it comes to taking action. We often fail to realise that the majority of a general practice’s carbon footprint results from clinical activity, and that part of the clinical role in primary care is educational. Vasumathy Sivarajasingam shares some tips on how GPs can make a practical difference.

[学科分类] 卫生学