One Health in Medical Education: A Proposed Framework

Abstract

The One Health concept focuses on the interconnections between human health, animal health, and the environment, stressing the need for interdisciplinary collaborations to address complex issues such as the health challenges posed by climate change and global pandemics. One Health is a central part of the curriculum of veterinary schools, however, it is rarely incorporated into medical school education. Nationally, there are limited examples of formal One Health education and training for medical students. To incorporate One Health into its curriculum, John A. Burns School of Medicine developed a Dean's Certificate of Distinction in One Health that consists of a One Health foundational course, a clinical One Health elective course, participation in the One Health Interest Group, engagement in One Health educational and outreach activities, and a One Health research or curriculum development project. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first One Health certificate program developed and implemented in any Association of American Medical Colleges accredited medical school. Although introducing similar programs into medical curricula will continue to be challenging, we hope it will serve as a framework for other academic institutions.