[Relevance of disaster and deployment medicine for medical students : A pilot study based on an interdisciplinary lecture series]

Abstract

Background: The global rise of conflicts and catastrophes causes new challenges for western healthcare systems. There are obvious parallels between civilian disaster medicine and military combat care. The integration of disaster and deployment medicine into the medical curriculum thus seems necessary.

Objective: What do medical students think about disaster and deployment medicine as part of the curriculum? Does participation in a voluntary disaster medicine course affect their view?

Material and methods: While participating in an extracurricular lecture series on disaster and deployment medicine students (group 1) were asked about their personal views and prior experience in disaster medicine (20 questions). Students who did not attend the lecture (group 2) functioned as the control group. The statistical evaluation was performed descriptively and using Student's t test for independent subgroups.

Results: The questionnaire was completed by 152 students (group 1: n = 78, group 2: n = 74). Only 10 students in group 1 and none in group 2 felt they had received an adequate amount of teaching in the field of disaster medicine. Medical students in both groups considered disaster medicine to be inadequately represented in the medical curriculum (group 1: 64% and group 2: 66%). Both groups were in favor of further expanding teaching in the field of disaster medicine (group 1: 72%, group 2: 54%, p = 0.001) and the development of e‑learning tools (group 1: 73%, group 2: 72%).

Discussion: The medical students questioned considered disaster and deployment medicine to be an integral part of the curriculum. Despite some statistical differences between the two groups, the survey showed that medical students possess a great interest in disaster medicine. Both groups were in favor of further integrating e‑learning tools. A regular inclusion of disaster and deployment medicine into the spectrum of medical student teaching is warranted.

Keywords: Civilian military cooperation; Curriculum development; Digital learning; Medical curriculum; Student evaluation.