In the third year, residents pursue a master’s degree in aerospace medicine, with courses focused on aerospace physiology, preventive medicine, occupational medicine, and public health. Outside of class, residents continue to work shifts in the emergency department.

The fourth year allows residents to apply the knowledge gained in the previous years while rotating at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, private space companies like Axiom and Virgin Galactic, the Federal Aviation Administration, and practicing polar/wilderness medicine in Antarctica. Additionally, throughout the program, residents participate in various research projects and present at the annual Aerospace Medical Association Conference. 

 A Universe of Opportunities

A career in aerospace medicine might look slightly different for each physician. Graduating residents can apply their unique training in many different capacities. 

Graduates  can become operational flight surgeons, working as crew physicians for civilian or government-sponsored astronaut missions. In this role they could  find themselves screening pilots or astronaut candidates in flight medicine clinics, working in mission control at Johnson Space Center, or providing telehealth support to astronauts on the International Space Station.

They may even be among the first to greet astronauts upon their return to Earth and assist in their rehabilitation and transition back to a terrestrial environment. 

There is still much to learn about how flight and the space environment affect the human body, so the opportunities for research are vast, and many trained in aerospace medicine dedicate their lives to research.   

The flexibility of emergency department scheduling also allows for work in both fields, caring for critically ill or medically underserved populations in the emergency department while simultaneously supporting some of the healthiest individuals on (and off the) Earth in the aerospace sector. 

As NASA and the commercial aerospace industry continue to expand, the demand for board-certified aerospace medicine physicians will grow. UTMB has been at the forefront of training these professionals. 

A Shared Mission 

Although emergency and aerospace medicine are be practiced in different settings, both share a commitment to saving lives through rapid, effective care in high-pressure situations. The broad scope of practice in the emergency department provides a solid foundation of medical knowledge and the chance to hone the ability to think critically and make the most of limited resources, essential skills in the world of aerospace medicine. The new combined program at UTMB offers an accelerated track to becoming board certified in emergency medicine and aerospace medicine so the future of aviation and spaceflight can continue to be supported.