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. 2020 Aug 31;93(3):429-432.
eCollection 2020 Aug.

Challenges and Lessons Learned After Hurricane Maria: Learning Points for the Medical Student Community

Luis G Colón-Flores  1 , Valeria Rosario-Cruz  1 , Michael J Gonzalez-Soto  1 , Efren J Flores  2 , Olga Rodriguez de Arzola  1
Affiliations

Challenges and Lessons Learned After Hurricane Maria: Learning Points for the Medical Student Community

Luis G Colón-Flores et al. Yale J Biol Med. .

Abstract

On September 20 of 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a strong category 4 hurricane with destructive winds and flooding. Everyone suffered in the aftermath of the hurricane due to overwhelming destruction and lack of available resources. For medical students, these conditions were intensified due to their duty as first responders, academic responsibilities from medical school, personal losses, and financial difficulties. Despite the hardships, these students learned lessons and found solutions to overcome their challenges. The objective of this article is to portray the situations that medical students confronted and offer suggestions on how medical students and academic institutions can prepare for future natural disasters.

Keywords: hurricane Maria; medical education; medical students; natural disasters preparedness.

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