Introducing Medical Geology to Undergraduates as a Critical Thinking and Risk Assessment Tool

Abstract

Medical geology is a fast growing sub-discipline within the geological sciences; in fact it now has its own division within the Geological Society of America. With more universities pushing for integrated science classes and cross-discipline projects, it is necessary for geology educators to help students think critically and creatively about the incorporation of other fields of study into geology. We have designed a straightforward project suitable for undergraduates that emphasizes the role of geology in human health. Using the publicly available Vital Statistics of the United States, students calculate standard mortality ratios (SMRs) from respiratory and intrathoracic cancers and breast cancer as a function of county of death in Montana and California over the period of 1978–1993. The SMRs show variances in death rates from these cancers when compared to the state rates. The students can superimpose these data on geological maps, then raise questions and form theories about how geology may or may not impact the population's health. Not only does this project foster critical thinking skills about science integration, it serves as a unique tool for teaching risk perception vs. reality.