Needs assessment for standardized educational program for Iranian Medical Students in crisis and disaster management

Introduction: Early education and training are mandatory to raise the knowledge and awareness of the healthcare staff. Iran is a disaster prone area with a high number of emergencies. This study aimed to assess the need for disaster and emergency management education for Iranian medical students. Methods: Using two-round Delphi technique in 2017, 15 experts within the field of disaster and emergency management were asked for their opinions concerning the education required for Iranian medical students. Highly important educational domains and their sub-domains selected with an agreement of above 70- 80% were prioritized by AHP technique. Results: Of 41 identified and prioritized educational subjects, four main groups were obtained: 1) crisis and disaster primary concepts, 2) disease control skills, 3) management skills, and 4) medical care skills. The medical care skills had the highest priority (with a weight of 0.546), compared to other areas after the final analysis. Conclusion: Different areas of competency are needed to raise awareness and preparedness in medical students in combating crisis and disasters. We propose a curriculum for Iranian medical students and suggest it to be used for other professionals, who are involved in the process of disaster management.