First-Year Med Students Practice Trauma and Disaster Medicine at HMC

October, 2011

First-year medical students learning trauma treatment skills

First-year medical students learnt to treat broken limbs, seizures, and life threatening wounds when they received an early introduction to the frenetic world of emergency treatment and trauma.

Students attended the Hamad International Training Center in Doha for the First Responder and Scene Safety session where they were involved with practical training to handle a variety of emergencies as part of their Medicine, Patient, and Society course.

Dr. Lyuba Konopasek, the WCMC-Q Associate Dean for Medical Education and a team of emergency trauma specialists, guided the medical students on treatment procedures and techniques for a range of injuries and ailments including broken limbs, blocked airways, seizures, and wounds.

The First Responder session offered students an early introduction to critical care in emergencies. Past WCMC-Q student and now Clinical Instructor in Medicine, Hina Ghory, facilitated the opportunity for these first-year students to take part in such an exciting and challenging module.

Emergency trauma and disaster response care makes up a large part of a doctor’s working life. The students were presented with case scenarios and had an opportunity to practice their skills on standardized patients.

Proper procedures for wound care, fractures, splints, and slings were demonstrated and student, Aseel Abu-Dayya, said she was excited by the opportunity to practice her new skills. “This was a helpful exercise and it gave me confidence but it also gave me insight into the hard work and the many issues that medical doctors face almost daily in their careers,” Aseel said.

For Mohamed al-Hajjaji, a student from Qatar, it was an exciting time in his life and a good experience working in emergency situations. “I have enjoyed this program immensely. It was an excellent work experience,” he said.

Students practice emergency skills with a patient actor

“This was an exciting introduction to the world of medicine for me. I was a bit nervous at first but you gain confidence as you progress so it was an excellent learning experience all round,” commented student Mujahed Laswi.

The students were also introduced to emergency medical care by the head of emergency medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation: Dr. Khaled Abdelnour Saifeldeen.

“It was an absolute pleasure to have had the opportunity to see the students and share with them what we believe is a unique and rewarding specialty,” Dr. Saifeldeen said. “It was also an opportunity to demonstrate to the students our commitment here at HMC to supporting their medical training and education, and to provide them with a unique hospital-based clinical exposure for when they rotate with us.
“I also hope that my presentation on the current and future state of emergency care in Qatar will attract some of them to pursue post-graduate training in emergency medicine. I am confident that WCMC-Q and the department of Emergency Medicine would continue to collaborate and work together to meet the needs of the medical students throughout their study years and beyond,” Dr. Saifeldeen said.