Sustainable Medical Education: Addressing Carbon Emissions in Preclerkship and Clerkship Phases

Climate change poses an existential threat to global health and healthcare systems, with the healthcare sector contributing approximately 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Within this context, medical education—comprising both preclerkship (classroom-based learning) and clerkship (clinical rotations)—plays a notable role in the carbon footprint of the healthcare system. From the energy consumption of academic infrastructure to the transportation required for clinical placements, various components of medical training have measurable environmental costs. This commentary explores the carbon footprint associated with medical education and advocates for more sustainable practices. The preclerkship phase often involves extensive use of lecture halls, laboratories, and electronic learning resources, all of which demand significant energy inputs. The clerkship phase, in contrast, is marked by frequent inter-facility travel, reliance on resource-intensive clinical environments, and increased use of disposable medical supplies during training. Together, these educational modalities contribute substantially to the environmental impact of the healthcare education pipeline. As the world strives to meet the Paris Agreement targets, medical schools must align with global sustainability goals. Emerging pedagogical innovations, including digital learning, tele-education, hybrid training models, and reduced travel via simulation and virtual care exposure, offer promising avenues to reduce emissions. Moreover, integrating cognitive learning theories with sustainable educational design can help achieve academic goals without compromising environmental stewardship. We argue that a holistic evaluation of the carbon footprint of medical training—grounded in scientific data and education theory—is essential to drive policy and curriculum reform. Medical educators must be empowered and incentivized to integrate sustainability into all facets of education, from curriculum design to infrastructure planning. By embracing environmentally responsible models of education, medical schools can foster future physicians who are not only clinically competent but also climate-conscious