Baseline preparedness and evaluation of a blended disaster medicine course among medical students at Yarmouk University, Jordan

Medical students at Yarmouk University in Jordan showed high willingness to participate in disaster response but reported limited perceived competence, according to the abstract of a two-stage study. In the baseline survey, 298 fifth- and sixth-year students assessed their preparedness, previous disaster-related training, willingness to respond, perceived competence, and future training needs for wars, pandemics, and earthquakes. Most were willing to respond to wars (82.2%), pandemics (77.6%), and earthquakes (79.9%), while fewer considered themselves competent in those scenarios: 38.2%, 43.2%, and 24.2%, respectively.

The study then assessed a blended disaster medicine course combining online theoretical instruction with face-to-face practical training. Forty-nine students completed the course and submitted module-specific usefulness ratings, while 37 also completed a comprehensive post-course evaluation that included retrospective pre- and post-course self-ratings of knowledge. This was a cross-sectional survey followed by an educational intervention, not a randomized or controlled trial. The analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square test, paired-samples t test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the Friedman test.

Among the 37 students who completed the comprehensive evaluation, mean self-reported knowledge rose from 1.46 ± 0.80 before the course to 3.97 ± 0.64 afterward, a statistically significant difference reported as p < 0.001. Because these were retrospective self-ratings, the abstract describes the change as an association with course participation rather than a controlled demonstration of educational effectiveness. Baseline analyses also found that sixth-year students reported higher perceived competence in war-related disaster management than fifth-year students (p = 0.010), while female students reported higher earthquake-related competence than male students (p = 0.036).

Course modules differed significantly in perceived usefulness (p < 0.001). Case-based learning, disaster triage, CBRN and personal protective equipment, and disaster medical care received the highest usefulness ratings. The abstract concludes that the findings support the feasibility and acceptability of structured disaster-medicine education in the undergraduate curriculum, while controlled studies are needed to evaluate its effectiveness. The supplied evidence reports preparedness, willingness, retrospective self-rated knowledge, and course evaluations among participating students; it does not establish clinical performance or patient outcomes.

Subject of Research: Evaluation of a blended disaster medicine course and baseline preparedness among medical students in Jordan

Article Title: Baseline preparedness and evaluation of a blended disaster medicine course among medical students at Yarmouk University, Jordan

Article References: Albeitawi, S., Issa, F., & Al-lawama, M. (2026). Baseline preparedness and evaluation of a blended disaster medicine course among medical students at Yarmouk University, Jordan. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10451-z

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10451-z

Keywords: medical education, disaster medicine, blended learning, student preparedness, disaster response, medical triage, CBRN training, Yarmouk University, Jordan, Baseline, preparedness, evaluation