Abstract

Background: Several disasters and infectious outbreaks have been seen recently; volunteers and strategies to deal with it are needed. Medical students may consider volunteer positions; providing them with a good experience can reduce feeling overwhelmed in an emergency. The studies show that response centers provide information resources for students. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of medical students at Unaizah College of Medicine at Qassim University to help with disaster situations in 2020.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of all medical students at Unaizah College of Medicine, Qassim University. The data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire, which included sociodemographic characteristics, as well as attitudes about disaster planning. A written consent form was obtained from all the participants. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program.
Results: Knowledge and attitude scores were good among most subjects, as they knew how to prepare themselves and their households to deal with a disaster. The willingness to volunteer in disasters and preparedness levels were moderate among medical staff. A significant association was seen between higher educational levels and medical student volunteers; there was also a correlation between educational levels and the ability of medical students to rely on television reports and radios as reliable information during disasters.
Conclusion: Medical students showed strong intentions to volunteer in disasters. There is a need to implement educational programs on disaster management and to augment preparedness among Saudi medical students.

Key words: Knowledge, attitude, willingness, disaster, volunteer, Unaizah College of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia