Medical Students’ Perspectives on Climate Change and Health: Is It Only the Climate That Is Changing?

Aimː To examine medical students’ perspectives on the relationship between climate change–health, their ability to recognize climate-sensitive diseases, and their interest in receiving education on this topic. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among first- and sixth-year medical students at Marmara University during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected via a 16-item online questionnaire between April and June 2025 covering socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions of climate-related health threats, awareness of climate-sensitive diseases, and views on curriculum integration. Results: Of the 217 respondents (response rate: 46.6%), 66.8% were female. Most participants stated that climate change threatens human, animal, and environmental health and increases pandemic risk. Moderate climate anxiety was reported by 69.1%. Students most frequently associated climate change with skin cancers, respiratory and infectious diseases, and injuries/deaths due to extreme weather events, while cardiovascular diseases and malnutrition were less recognized. Among vector-borne diseases, malaria, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, and West Nile virus infection were the most identified. Sixth-year students more often recognized certain low-endemic diseases. Female students reported higher climate anxiety while male students were less willing to receive training. Of the participants, 76.9% expressed interest in climate change–health education, and 57.1% preferred mandatory integration into the curriculum. Conclusion: Climate change–health education that reflects national risks and does not impose additional burden on the existing curriculum should be integrated into medical education. Family medicine academics can play a leading role in this process.