UAlg medical students are learning what to do in the event of a disaster

This subject was included in the curriculum of the Integrated Masters in Medicine at the University of Algarve in 2016

The final year students of the Integrated Masters in Medicine (MIM) at the University of Algarve are attending a course in Disaster Medicine, a new branch that differs from the emergency response «on an ethical level and in the way of acting».

The course, which started yesterday, Tuesday, and ends tomorrow, Thursday, will provide important tools for future doctors trained in the Algarve, in the opinion of physician and researcher Ana Pinto de Oliveira.

«For students, it will be very important to have access to and be able to participate in research projects in this area, not only in the field of medical education, but also in the field of public health, raising awareness and preparing the population for a voluntary and effective intervention in disaster situations », according to the doctor, one of those invited to teach the course.

Over the three days, topics such as basic concepts of catastrophe, epidemiology of catastrophes and impact on health systems and populations, command and triage system, psychosocial aspects and disaster risk reduction will be addressed in this training.

In addition to Ana Pinto de Oliveira, this course also includes the participation of two more guest researchers, one from the Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Novara, in Italy, and another from the Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters, Brussels, Belgium , who are collaborating with the Disaster Medicine Research Group of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at UAlg.

The UAlg MIM has had a pilot course in Disaster Medicine in its curriculum since 2016. Last year, it also added the humanitarian aid component to the course.

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