Attitudes of Medical Students Toward Volunteering in Emergency Situations

OBJECTIVE: With the rising incidence of health care emergencies, there has been a considerable burden placed on health care systems worldwide. We aimed to determine the willingness and capacity of medical students in Ireland to volunteer during health care emergencies. METHODS: An online, cross-sectional survey of medical students at the National University of Ireland was conducted in 2015. RESULTS: Respondents totaling 274 completed the survey (response rate - 30.1%). Of participants, 69.0% were willing to volunteer in the event of a natural disaster and 59.1% in an event of an infectious epidemic, with altruism being the strongest motivational factor. Only a minority of students (23.7%) felt their current skill level would be useful in an emergency setting. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students express a strong interest in actively participating during health care emergencies.