Development of a disaster preparedness curriculum for medical students: A pilot study of incorporating local events into training opportunities

Authors

  • Katherine A. Pollard, BA
  • Daniel J. Bachmann, MD
  • Marek Greer, MD, MPH
  • David P. Way, MEd
  • Nicholas E. Kman, MD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2015.0188

Keywords:

disaster planning, emergency preparedness, education, medical, undergraduate

Abstract

Objective: Contemporary disasters, like the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, have piqued the interest of medical students in disaster preparedness. The topic is also a requirement of undergraduate medical education.1 Yet current literature suggests that disaster preparedness education is lacking. Our objective was to pilot a curriculum to augment medical students’ disaster preparedness education by marshalling local resources to provide practical hands-on experiences.

Design: This pilot curriculum consisted of lectures; simulations; asynchronous learning materials; a large-scale, regional disaster exercise; and preparation for and participation in a real-time mass gathering. Outcomes were measured by student performance on written tests and evaluations of each activity. Setting: Academic Health Center with associated medical school.

Participants: Fifty-two medical students participated in at least one of the six activities during this voluntary pilot program. Premedical students and residents (n = 57) participated in some activities.

Results: Forty-one medical students took either the pretest or the post-test over the curriculum. Only eight students took both. A paired t test comparing pretest to post-test scores using imputed missing data (t = −11.72, df = 40, p 0.001) was consistent with an analysis using only complete data (t = −2.35, df = 7, p = 0.05), implying that student scores improved significantly over time. Evaluations indicated a student preference for hands-on over didactic or independent learning activities.

Conclusions: This pilot curriculum was designed to capitalize on practical hands-on training opportunities for our medical students, including participation in a disaster exercise and a mass-gathering event. These opportunities provided effective and engaging disaster preparedness education.

Author Biographies

Katherine A. Pollard, BA

Medical Student, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.

Daniel J. Bachmann, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Marek Greer, MD, MPH

Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio

David P. Way, MEd

Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Nicholas E. Kman, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

References

Liason Committee on Medical Education: Accreditation Standards: Functions and Structures of a Medical School, V. Educational Resources, B. General Facilities, ER-5, May 2012: 25. Available at http://www.lcme.org/publications/functions2012may.pdf. Accessed January 3, 2014.

American Medical Association: Policy H-295.868 Education in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness During Medical School and Residency Training November 2012. Available at https://ssl3.ama-assn.org/apps/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.ama-assn.org&uri=%2fresources%2fhtml%2fPolicyFinder%2fpolicyfiles%2fHnE%2fH-295.868.HTM. Accessed January 3, 2014.

Smith J, Levy MJ, Hsu EB, et al.: Disaster curricula in medical education: Pilot survey. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012; 27(5): 492-494.

Kaiser HE, Barnett DJ, Hsu EB, et al.: Perspectives of future physicians on disaster medicine and public health preparedness: Challenges of building a capable and sustainable auxiliary medical workforce. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009; 3(4): 210-216.

Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Graduation Questionnaire. 2014 Individual School Report: The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges. July 2014.

Subbarao I, Lyznicki JM, Hsu EB, et al.: A consensus-based educational framework and competency set for the discipline of disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2008; 2(1): 57-68.

Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness: Available at http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkinscenter-for-public-health-preparedness. Accessed June 26, 2013.

Keith B: Mirror Lake Jump draws Ohio State students bent on celebrating ‘tradition’. The Lantern. November 20, 2012.

Kman N, Bachmann D, Folley AT, et al.: Emergency preparedness simulation cases for medical students: Crush and organophosphate exposure MedEd PORTAL. 2013. Available at http://www.mededportal.org/publication/9330. Accessed May 1, 2014.

Kaji AH, Coates W, Fung CC: A disaster medicine curriculum for medical students. Teach Learn Med. 2010; 22(2): 116-122.

Kaiser HE, Barnett DJ, Hayanga AJ, et al.: Medical students’ participation in the 2009 Novel H1N1 influenza vaccination administration: Policy alternatives for effective student utilization to enhance surge capacity in disasters. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2011; 5(2): 150-153.

Published

01/01/2015

How to Cite

Pollard, BA, K. A., D. J. Bachmann, MD, M. Greer, MD, MPH, D. P. Way, MEd, and N. E. Kman, MD. “Development of a Disaster Preparedness Curriculum for Medical Students: A Pilot Study of Incorporating Local Events into Training Opportunities”. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 51-59, doi:10.5055/ajdm.2015.0188.

Issue

Section

Articles