title: 'Disaster day': global health simulation teaching.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As society diversifies and globalisation quickens, the importance of teaching global health to medical undergraduates increases. For undergraduates, the majority of exposure to 'hands-on' teaching on global health occurs during optional elective periods. This article describes an innovative student-led initiative, 'Disaster Day', which used simulation to teach global health to undergraduates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The teaching day began with an introduction outlining the work of Médecins Sans Frontières and the basic principles of resuscitation. Students then undertook four interactive simulation scenarios: Infectious Diseases in a Refugee Camp, Natural Disaster and Crush Injury, Obstetric Emergency in a Low-Income Country, and Warzone Gunshot Wound. Sessions were facilitated by experienced doctors and fourth-year students who had been trained in the delivery of the scenarios. Students completed pre- and post-session evaluation forms that included the self-rating of confidence in eight learning domains (using a five-point Likert scale).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven students voluntarily attended the session, and all provided written feedback. Analysis of the pre- and post-session evaluations demonstrated statistically significant improvements in confidence across all but one domains (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Free-text feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with students appreciating the practical aspect of the scenarios. For undergraduates, the majority of exposure to 'hands-on' teaching on global health occurs during optional elective periods
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simulation-based teaching can provide students with 'hands-on' exposure to global health in a controlled, reproducible fashion and appears to help develop their confidence in a variety of learning domains. The more widespread use of such teaching methods is encouraged: helping tomorrow's doctors develop insight into global health challenges may produce more rounded clinicians capable of caring for more culturally diverse populations.
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: Rayan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohamed-Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goodall
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Kelly
authors.affiliation: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004190:Disasters; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D058872:Epidemics; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D016544:Patient Simulation; D014857:Warfare