Diabetes mellitus has emerged as the fastest-growing global health crisis of the 21st century, with the Middle East and North Africa region exhibiting the highest prevalence worldwide. As future healthcare professionals, medical students play a crucial role in addressing this challenge, making it essential to assess, update, and strengthen their knowledge of the disease. During the Syrian conflict, a cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Syrian Private University (SPU) in Damascus in November 2019, coinciding with World Diabetes Day. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires, and the resulting data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). Among the 275 participants, 74 (26.9%) were preclinical students and 201 (73%) were clinical students, with a mean age of 21.9 ± 3.7 years. Of these, 67 students (25.0%) were classified as overweight, and 26 (9.7%) as obese. Overall, students demonstrated good knowledge regarding the clinical features, risk factors, and complications of diabetes; however, gaps were observed in their understanding of general information and diagnostic criteria. Students in clinical years (4th–6th) exhibited significantly higher awareness compared to those in preclinical years (1st–3rd). Medical students exhibited certain gaps in their knowledge and awareness of diabetes mellitus. Comprehensive health education programs are needed to enhance their ability to recognize and manage the disease effectively, while also fostering the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors.
