Medical Students Working on Disaster Relief

• Main Author: Silva, Maria Helena Ferreira da
• Publication Date: 2017
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/8123
• topic: Currículo Médico; Educação Médica; Estudantes de Medicina; Voluntariado; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Médicas::Ciências da Saúde::Medicina

Introduction: After volunteering as a 5th year medical student for two months in a refugee camp and do various medical tasks on my own, I started this analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate if medical curriculum is preparing students to work on disaster relief and if those students feel prepared. Materials and Methods: 50 medical students from around the world who had been volunteering in refugee camps were interviewed using a Goggle® Form survey consisting of: an initial questionnaire on personal information and information on the medical school, a second section with 18 questions about the specific tasks performed as volunteer, one last section with two questions about the medical curriculum with one last question as final evaluation of the work done while volunteering and a free commentary. IBM SPSS® Statistics 22 was used to analyze data for population characterization and chi-square test. I also interviewed Michael-John von Hörsten on experience as a doctor who works on disaster relief. Results: Relative to triage, the most selected option was “I felt confident while doing this task” (n=24; 70.6%). On medical histories, the most selected option was “In my medical degree’s curriculum I have subjects that helped me through this task” (n=24; 60%). About diagnostic procedures the most selected option was “I think my medical degree should change for me to feel more confident on this task” (n=9; 60%). On counseling the most selected option was “In my medical degree’s curriculum I have subjects that helped me through this task” (n=11; 50%). About therapeutic advice/prescription the most selected options were “In my medical degree’s curriculum I have subjects that helped me through this task” (n=10; 41.7%) and “I think my medical degree’s curriculum should change for me to feel more confident on this task” (n=10; 41.7%). Relative to emergency care, the most selected option was “In my medical degree’s curriculum I have subjects that helped me through this task” (n=6; 42.9%). Relative to preventive care, the most selected option was “I felt confident while doing this task” (n=11; 73.3%). Discussion: Through most tasks, there are more students stating their curriculum should change for them to feel more prepared than the opposite. Despite that, there are more students thinking they have subjects helping them through performed tasks (theoretical-knowledge). Conclusion: Medical curriculums are partially preparing students to work on disaster relief, especially in what comes to theoretical knowledge. Students don’t feel prepared or at least confident. My suggestion after this investigation it’s on adding this practical skills course to the curriculum of all universities and implementing a volunteer specific course.