Unique minor brings disciplines together to tackle complex challenges in healthcare

These challenges now come from a wide range of sources, such as climate change, staff shortages, socioeconomic inequality and international interdependence (for example during pandemics and epidemics). From this autumn, the minor Sustainable Health and Care at Leiden University and LUMC will address these issues across disciplines. In this English taught minor, students use the concept of One Health, which focuses on the connection and interaction between humans, animals and the environment.

Students work with this concept through themes such as sustainability, health, healthcare. They focus on care that is sustainable for people, the planet and the healthcare system. The minor is open to third year bachelor students from different faculties who are interested in One Health and sustainability in the broadest sense.

The interdisciplinary programme combines unique perspectives with innovative and active teaching methods. There are no other minors at Leiden University on this topic with such a cross disciplinary set up. This makes the minor one of a kind. The minor is partly funded by an interdisciplinary Kiem grant from Leiden University.

Health beyond the clinic

Thanks to the minor, students develop an understanding of health that reaches beyond the individual patient. They discover the governance side of health, explore the right to health and study health from cultural, social and political angles.

After completing the minor, students have insight into the development of population based healthcare and sustainability, and can analyse these themes critically from social, statistical, legal, policy and medical perspectives. This broader view and multidisciplinary approach provide a strong foundation for addressing complex public health issues.

Interprofessional learning

To provide the best care, you need to look beyond professional boundaries. By learning together with students from within and outside LUMC, our students develop into healthcare professionals who are prepared for future health challenges. This lays the foundation for better care and faster, practical solutions. Through interprofessional learning, we work together on the education of the future.

Faculty of Medicine: more than medicine

The minor Sustainable Health and Care is linked to the master Population Health Management and is part of the Faculty of Medicine at LUMC and Leiden University. The faculty prepares students to truly make a difference, especially now that healthcare is under pressure and health inequalities are increasing. This requires broad expertise, ranging from care and prevention to research and innovation, aimed at social developments such as ageing and the use of technology and data. Take a look at our bachelor and master programmes.