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Assessing the Current State of USA-Based Disaster Medicine Fellowships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

Chinonso B. Agubosim ,
Attila J. Hertelendy Open the ORCID record for Attila J. Hertelendy [Opens in a new window] ,
Taha M. Masri ,
Ritu R. Sarin ,
Christina A. Woodward Open the ORCID record for Christina A. Woodward [Opens in a new window] ,
Fadi S. Issa ,
Eman Alshaikh Open the ORCID record for Eman Alshaikh [Opens in a new window] ,
Eric Miller ,
Dana Matthews  and
Chukwudi G. Agubosim
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Chinonso B. Agubosim*
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Attila J. Hertelendy
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
Taha M. Masri
Affiliation:
King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Medicine, Disaster Medicine Section, Department of Emergency Medicine, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Ritu R. Sarin
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Christina A. Woodward
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Fadi S. Issa
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Eman Alshaikh
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Eric Miller
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Dana Matthews
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Chukwudi G. Agubosim
Affiliation:
Priory Healthcare, Department of Mental Health, Recovery and Rehabilitation Center, Burston Diss, England
Amalia Voskanyan
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Gregory R. Ciottone
Affiliation:
Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Chinonso B. Agubosim; Email: chinonso.agubosim@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to understand the current landscape of USA-based disaster medicine (DM) programs through the lens of alumni and program directors (PDs). The data obtained from this study will provide valuable information to future learners as they ponder careers in disaster medicine and allow PDs to refine curricular offerings.

Methods

Two separate surveys were sent to USA-based DM program directors and alumni. The surveys gathered information regarding current training characteristics, career trajectories, and the outlook of DM training.

Results

The study had a 57% response rate among PDs, and 42% response rate from alumni. Most programs are 1-year and accept 1-2 fellows per class. More than 60% of the programs offer additional advanced degrees. Half of the respondents accept international medical graduates (IMGs). Only 25% accept non-MD/DO/MBBs trained applicants. Most of the alumni hold academic and governmental positions post-training. Furthermore, many alumni report that fellowship training offered an advantage in the job market and allowed them to expand their clinical practice.

Conclusions

The field of disaster medicine is continuously evolving owing to the increased recognition of the important roles DM specialists play in healthcare. The fellowship training programs are experiencing a similar evolution with an increasing trend toward standardization. Furthermore, graduates from these programs see their training as a worthwhile investment in career opportunities.

Keywords

disaster medicinefellowship trainingemergency medicine

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e325
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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