July 2003, 20 Pages

In this report, "Training Future Physicians About Weapons of Mass Destruction," the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides the first guidance ever issued to medical educators about how to prepare tomorrow's doctors to care for victims of bioterrorism and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to the report, the nation's medical schools should thoroughly educate students about the public health and emergency services systems to ensure coordinated responses to WMD or other public health threats, and should incorporate WMD education into all four years of medical education.

The study, funded through a cooperative agreement between the AAMC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was the work of a multi-disciplinary panel of educators from schools of medicine, nursing and public health, experts in WMD preparedness and military medicine, and representatives from the CDC and AAMC. The report identifies new learning objectives for medical school programs to ensure that students gain adequate knowledge of the public health system, emergency management system, physicians' roles in emergency management response, and professional ethics - topics that may not be included in current coursework at all schools. Students should also be familiar with the psychological and mental health effects associated with WMD, according to the report.

The report also emphasizes cooperation between medical and public health professionals, as the nation's response to naturally occurring public health challenges such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and West Nile Virus recently demonstrated.

In addition, the report recommends that future physicians acquire the practical ability to interact with multidisciplinary teams of other health practitioners, public health officials, emergency services, law enforcement, and the media.