Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) has solidified its position as a top tier national leader in environmental medicine, ranking ninth among participating medical schools across the United States in the 2026 Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC).
The institution earned an “A-” grade in the student-led international evaluation, marking a steady ascent from the “B+” mark it received in 2025. The annual report evaluates medical and health professional schools across five core areas: curriculum depth, scientific research, community engagement, institutional sustainability, and student advocacy.
While a reported 70% of medical schools across the country now include some form of climate health instruction, university officials noted that CMSRU stands out for completely embedding these concepts directly into its core educational tracking rather than relying on standalone electives.
Under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Cerceo, a professor of medicine and the executive director of climate health education, CMSRU has spent the last three years weaving environmental health determinants throughout all four years of training.
“At its core, climate health is about meeting the needs of patients,” Cerceo explained. “Research consistently shows that environmental and climate-related factors significantly influence health outcomes. Medical education must evolve to prepare physicians for those realities.”
CMSRU students actively study climate-linked clinical realities as part of their standard medical training, including:
- Pulmonary & Vector Illnesses: Tracking the escalation of respiratory disease and shifting patterns of infectious disease.
- Extreme Heat Protocols: Diagnosing and treating heat-related emergencies in vulnerable demographics.
- Environmental Justice: Exploring how systemic neighborhood exposures alter long-term population health outcomes.
This curriculum overhaul aligns with broader shifts in organized medicine. Major testing entities, including the American Board of Internal Medicine, have recently begun integrating environmental and climate-driven health concepts directly into their official physician certification frameworks.
The hospital and university’s metrics were compiled and tracked over a three-year period by student-led chapters participating in the PHRC initiative. Lucas Garfinkel, a fourth-year medical student completing CMSRU’s specialized Climate Health Scholarly Concentration, has spearheaded the reporting process since its inception.
“Being involved with the Planetary Health Report Card for all three years at CMSRU has been incredibly rewarding because it has shown me how student advocacy can lead to real institutional change,” Garfinkel said, noting that student-gathered metrics directly informed the university’s recent sustainability and curricular modifications.
The specialized programming has also evolved into a distinct asset for institutional recruiting. Faculty leaders report a significant rise in prospective medical students citing CMSRU’s robust environmental health framework as a primary motivator for applying to the Camden-based campus.
“Environmental factors are increasingly shaping the health of our patients and communities, and medical schools have a responsibility to prepare future physicians to understand and meet those challenges,” Dr. Annette Reboli, dean of CMSRU said. “We are incredibly proud of our students and faculty for helping position CMSRU among the nation’s leaders in climate health education.“
