PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR DISASTER MEDICAL RESPONSE: ARE MEDICAL STUDENTS ADEQUATELY PREPARED?

Abstract

Disaster medical support requires rapid execution of practical clinical skills in high-stress, resource-constrained environments. Although disaster medicine is included in Bulgarian undergraduate medical curricula, training remains largely focused on theoretical instruction. This study aimed to evaluate medical students’ self-perceived preparedness for disaster medical support and examine the core practical competencies required for effective disaster medical response. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 166 medical students at the Medical University of Plovdiv. Participants assessed their theoretical knowledge and practical preparedness for disaster medical response using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed to assess the needed skills for disaster medical support. Most respondents (69.8%, n=116) reported awareness of the competencies required for disaster medical support, while only 9.6% (n=16) considered themselves practically prepared to provide medical assistance during disasters. Despite prior disaster medicine education, 17.5% (n=29) remained uncertain regarding the required competencies. These findings reveal a substantial theory–practice gap in undergraduate disaster medicine education. Effective disaster response requires practical competencies including use of communication equipment, triage, airway management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, immobilization, personal protective equipment use, and vascular access techniques, including intravenous and intraosseous access. Disaster medical support training should begin during undergraduate medical education, with greater emphasis on simulation-based practical skills development to prepare future physicians for real-world emergency and disaster scenarios