Current status of education for disaster medicine in Korean medical schools

¹Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
³Department of Traumatology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea

Correspondence

Jae-Hyug Woo ,Tel: 032-460-3901, Fax: 032-460-3019, Email: emmetalkiller@gilhospital.com,

Received: October 18, 2019; Revised: March 5, 2020 Accepted: March 28, 2020. Published online: October 30, 2020.

ABSTRACT

Objective:
Doctors or public health doctors at the nearest institution to a disaster scene often have to treat the casualties at the scene. Therefore, disaster medical education is necessary for medical students and doctors, but such education is not properly implemented. This study investigated the status of disaster medical education in Korean medical schools and the professors' thoughts on the appropriateness and necessity of disaster medical education.
Method:
A survey was conducted on working-level professors in charge of student education in emergency medicine in 40 medical schools. The survey asked the professors the current status of disaster medical education at each school and the professors' thoughts on the appropriateness and necessity of disaster medical education.
Results:
Thirty-seven professors (92.5%) responded to the survey. Twenty-seven schools (73.0%) had a regular curriculum of disaster medicine. Disaster drills were conducted at 34 training hospitals (91.9%), while students of 10 schools (29.4%) were officially participating in the drill. Of the responders, 31 (83.8%) responded that disaster medicine is necessary for clinicians. Thirty-seven professors (100%) thought disaster medical education was necessary for medical students, and 20 (54.1%) of them responded that their schools did not provide adequate disaster medical education.
Conclusion:
Many schools did not have a proper course on disaster medical education. Disaster medical education is necessary for medical students, but such education is not properly implemented.

Key words: Disasters; Mass casualty incidents; Education; Medical students; Disaster planning