Five Students, Five Paths to Better Health

In February, Amelia Kane met with Erin Beirne, a career advisor in Bowdoin's CXD office, to ask how she could combine her interests in public health and the climate into a meaningful summer internship.

Beirne suggested she contact James Sullivan '16, who is helping to build the Climate Health Society, an organization founded last year to support professionals working at the intersection of climate change and health care. Sullivan is an internal medicine resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.

When Kane reached out, Sullivan welcomed the chance to work with another person interested in the emerging field.

"He was excited to hear that I had a similar desire to connect climate to public health," Kane said. "The highlight of the internship has been the mentorship he's given me. I come from a family of humanities majors, so I didn't have much exposure to the medical world. He's been breaking down the field for me and introducing me to a lot of people."

This summer, Kane has helped develop the society's online learning center, which features peer-reviewed resources and weekly webinars. Topics include the health effects of rising temperatures, drought, wildfires, smoke inhalation, and water insecurity. The organization also explores how to protect older adults or people with disabilities who may be more vulnerable to climate changes.

"We're bringing together people from all different backgrounds," Kane said. "They could be sustainability advocates, public health professionals, professors, doctors, policymakers, climate scientists, or engineers, since the society believes that to tackle the climate health crisis, we need to work together across disciplines."

For Kane, a government and Hispanic studies major who is proficient in Spanish, the internship has strengthened both her professional network and her confidence. "I'm now connected to more people working in a field I'm excited about," she said. "I hope to find a job that connects public health and the climate, and has an international component."