How to Become a Disaster Medical Specialist

1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree (4 Years)

Given the novelty of this specialty, there are not many programs that are dedicated to providing education and training in disaster medicine.

To become a disaster medical specialist, one must complete college, medical college and residency in medical or surgical specialty.

A minimum of 3 years of undergraduate completion is required before applying to medical school while maintaining a high GPA (3.5+).

Due to the competitive nature of these programs, the candidates with the most success are well-rounded with work, volunteer, extracurricular, and shadowing experience as well. If you have three years of college but no bachelor’s degree, you can still be accepted to medical school.

There are post-baccalaureate programs designed to help students catch up by providing the courses needed to apply to medical school.

For applying, you must submit a copy of transcripts from any college and/or graduate school you’ve attended.

You’ll also need letters of recommendation and scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). If you aren’t satisfied with your MCAT scores, you can retake the exam. The American Medical College Application Service can also help by submitting one application to multiple medical schools.

2. Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

To be admitted into medical school, candidates must first take the MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test, a 7.5 hour, standardized, multiple choice exam used to assess the applicant's knowledge of science, reasoning, communication, and writing skills.

The MCAT is divided into four sections:

3. Earn a Medical Degree (4 Years)

A list of accredited medical education programs is available through the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

For more information and advice on successfully getting into medical school, you can check with the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Medical school consists of four years of studying the basics in science and participating in clinical “rotations.” These are hands-on clinical experiences in real health care settings.

In most med schools, the first two years are taken up with classroom studies before students are assigned to do rotations.

The current trend, however, finds a number of medical schools exposing students to early clinical experiences that continue throughout the four-year program.

Most medical schools base their curriculum on a system-based approach that focuses on one physiological system at a time, such as the respiratory system or the nervous system.

Still others may use a case-based curriculum that teaches about the human body’s normal functioning and disease processes by assigning students to following individual patient cases from start to finish.

Still other med schools use a combination of these approaches to educate their students. The most common lines of coursework among medical schools consist of the following subjects:

• Anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Ethics
• Pharmacology
• Physiology
• Psychology

During the last two years of schooling, students are required to obtain hands-on experience at hospitals and clinics, learning to diagnose and treat patients while working under the supervision of licensed physicians.

Upon completion of four years of med school, a student is awarded a medical degree, or M.D. Another popular trend is for schools to offer combination degree programs, such as MD/MPH, MD/PHD or MD/JD.

The AAMC’s website on Medical School Admission Requirements offers more information on this option. The preparation timeline below provides an example medical school curriculum:

4. Take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)

In order to practice medicine, aspiring geriatricians must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).

This exam is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The exam consists of three steps:

5. Complete a Residency Program (3 - 4 Years)

After completing med school, you aren’t finished yet. Now it’s time to choose your specialty and complete your residency.

These residency programs are offered in conjunction with intensive clinical training experiences. Depending on the specialty, residency can last from three to eight years.

The American Medical Association’s online FREIDA service is an interactive database of over 9,400 graduate medical education programs.

These programs are all accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. There is also information on over 200 combined specialty programs.

6. Earn a Disaster Medicine Certification

The American Board of Physician Specialties offers a Disaster Medicine Certification aimed at preparing medical professionals for performing in the event of a disaster scenario. In order to be eligible for the certification, candidates must have completed both medical school and their residency.

It focuses on all aspects of compromising situations that physicians will need to know in order to become a recognized expert in the four main stages of disaster preparation and management:

• Planning
• Coordination
• Execution
• Debriefing

The program include basic knowledge of the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System, the principles of triage in disaster settings, how to provide clinical care with very limited resources, and much more.

Learn more about the Disaster Medicine Certification