As an inner city Londoner, it becomes harder to appreciate nature and its resources. We are dynamic and connected, never too far away from anything we want — whether that is tropical fruit in winter or an Amazon delivery within four hours. I never believed my mind needed a pivotal reset until I completed my elective in St Lucia.
Imagine my shock when our Airbnb host suggested that we ration our showers and minimise our water use. A foreign concept to me, I diligently agreed, partly confused. Excited to be in a villa for a month, I traversed the outer perimeter of the property, taken aback by the state of the grass. Dry, brittle and stale, it stood on edge as if freshly burnt.
Coming from London, where running water and green parks are constants, I had never truly considered water scarcity as a daily reality. Yet in St Lucia, climate change was not an abstract headline or an academic discussion — it was visible in the landscape itself. I quickly learned how dependent small island nations are on finite natural resources and how vulnerable they are to changing weather patterns, droughts and environmental degradation.
This experience forced me to reflect on my own consumption habits and the environmental cost of convenience. During my placement, I became far more conscious of the resources I used. I reduced the length of my showers, limited unnecessary air conditioning use, and relied on shared transport rather than private taxis whenever feasible. Even small actions, such as carrying a reusable water bottle and reducing single-use plastics, became intentional rather than optional.
These changes aligned closely with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13: Climate Action. My elective taught me that sustainability is not solely about large-scale environmental policies; it is also about personal accountability and adapting behaviours to respect the communities and environments we enter.
As a future doctor, I believe this awareness is increasingly important. Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly in low-resource and island nations where healthcare systems are already under pressure. Experiencing this firsthand in St Lucia broadened my understanding of global health beyond clinical medicine alone. Sustainability and healthcare are intrinsically linked — from resource allocation to the long-term health consequences of environmental change.
My elective did not simply teach me medicine in a different setting; it reshaped the way I think about travel, consumption and responsibility. I return to London with a greater appreciation for resources I once took for granted and with the intention of carrying these sustainable habits into both my personal life and future medical practice.
