Medical Education Bulletin

Medical Education Bulletin

From Household Environmental Pollutants to Clinical Education: The Need to Incorporate Exposure History-Taking into Medical Education Curricula

Articles in Press

Document Type : Letter to the Editor

Authors
Zahra Rezaei Borojerdi 1
Zahra Khashi 2
1 Medical Oncologist, Hematologist, and Stem Cell Transplantation Specialist, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Faculty Member, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Firoozabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Firoozabad, Iran.
10.22034/meb.2026.599165.1140
Abstract
Household exposures to radon, secondhand tobacco smoke, combustion-related pollutants, and volatile organic compounds may contribute to cancer and other chronic diseases. However, environmental exposure history-taking remains insufficiently integrated into medical education. This letter highlights the need to teach medical students and residents how to identify household exposures, distinguish hazard from risk, and provide appropriate preventive counselling. Structured checklists, problem-based learning, clinical simulation, and objective assessment may help integrate environmental history-taking into routine clinical practice.
Keywords
Curriculum Development
Environmental Exposure
Indoor Air Pollution
Medical Education
Preventive Oncology
Medical Education Bulletin

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 August 2026