For 30 years, UTMB has been training physicians to become specialists in Aerospace Medicine. Our graduates have supported successive eras of spaceflight — from the Space Shuttle to the ISS and now commercial space. As access to space continues to expand, UTMB Aerospace Medicine draws on the facilities, faculty, and expertise of several partners to deliver training, research, and services at the forefront of space medicine and aviation medicine.
With the continued expansion of the aerospace industry, there is an immediate need to train more Aerospace Medicine board certified physicians. NASA is committed to returning humans to the moon and Mars (while simultaneously continuing low-earth orbit operations). The commercialization of spaceflight has expanded rapidly and opened novel job opportunities. Long-term, with the continued expansion of the field of aviation and the spaceflight exploration goals to travel to other celestial bodies, the need for Aerospace Medicine board certified physicians will continue to grow.
30+ Years Training Physicians | | ABPM Board Certification Eligibility |
2-Year ACGME Accredited
Aerospace Medicine
Residency | 4-Year ACGME Accredited
Combined Aerospace/
Internal Medicine Residency | 4-Year ACGME Accredited
Combined Aerospace/
Emergency Medicine Residency |
The two-year Aerospace Medicine Residency Program and the four-year combined residency programs (Aerospace Medicine/Internal Medicine or Aerospace Medicine/Emergency Medicine) integrate classroom academics and field practicum experiences in Aerospace Medicine. Historically, the academic requirements led to a Master of Public Health degree; this has transitioned to a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Medicine. Practicum experience is offered through a variety of Aerospace Medicine-related activities and rotations. Program graduates are eligible for board certification in Aerospace Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). Combined residents are board-eligible in both fields (Aerospace Medicine and Internal Medicine or Emergency Medicine).
Training is focused on the full spectrum of care warranted by an Aerospace Medicine specialist — prevention, acute care, and maintenance of primary specialty skills. Residents are exposed to medical operations, aeromedical certification, research, and systems engineering custom-designed for non-engineers. Training is led by experienced, board-certified Aerospace Medicine faculty, as well as national and international experts with specific expertise in the unique aspects of what is being taught.
Residents also become proficient in critically evaluating Aerospace Medicine literature and participate in academic research related to the physiologic changes of spaceflight and aviation.
Practicum experience includes clinical and other rotations that cover the entire spectrum of Aerospace Medicine. These rotations prepare the resident through supervised clinical, project, and program management experiences to be competent in all facets of aviation and space medicine.
Learn more about Aerospace Medicine from the faculty at UTMB
What Residents Learn
| Operational Aerospace Medicine | | Acute care of aviators, astronauts, spaceflight participants, and supporting personnel | | Preventive care of aviators, astronauts, spaceflight participants, and supporting personnel | | Government, private, and commercial spaceflight considerations |
| | Crew health issues | | Medical standards and certification | | Risk management | | Extra-vehicular activities | | Life support and protective equipment | | Physics of flight | | Regulations and policy |
| | Physiologic changes in aerospace environments, including microgravity | | Operational considerations of hyper- and hypobaric environments | | Radiation | | Telemedicine and remote monitoring | | Lifetime surveillance of astronaut health |
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Our mission is to prepare physicians in the operational aspects of Aerospace Medicine and space biomedical research — to protect the health of populations exposed to unusual or extreme environments, to understand the physical and engineering aspects of the flight environment, and to manage public safety issues across a range of regulatory agencies.
Academic Study and Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Aerospace Medicine meets the credit hour requirements set forth by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). The curriculum is built around three foundational pillars.
1
| Aerospace specialty courses |
2
| Courses in core public health knowledge areas — Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Environmental Health, and Social/Behavioral Sciences |
3
| Completion of a mentored capstone thesis and presentation |
Practicum Rotation Opportunities
Rotations are selected to give each resident supervised experience across the full breadth of aviation and space medicine. Examples of available placements include:
01 NASA Johnson Space Center | 02 NASA Headquarters | 03 Commercial Space Companies |
04 Federal Aviation Administration | 05 Military Aerospace Medicine | 06 Aviation Medicine |
07 Extreme Medicine Environments | 08 Hyperbaric Medicine | 09 Additional Elective Opportunities |
Want to hear directly from the physicians who teach and practice Aerospace Medicine at UTMB? Watch the faculty panel discussion for an inside look at the program, the field, and what it means to practice medicine at the edge of human exploration.