Aerospace Medicine Physicians

Aerospace medicine physicians perform a wide range of duties. Those who serve in a military branch, such as the Air Force, have regular office hours to meet the primary and urgent health care needs of members of their air wing and often their families. They give flight physicals intended to clear pilots and astronauts for flight or identify medical reasons why the pilot should not fly. They may also screen air traffic controllers and flight controllers. If necessary, AMPs refer patients to specialized physicians and/or physical and occupational therapists for treatment or therapy. Physicians also provide in-flight telemedicine services to pilots and astronauts. Some physicians monitor astronauts and pilots during training in buoyancy pools (which are used to train astronauts for spacewalks), centrifuges and centrifuge-based simulators (which are used to help pilots and astronauts improve their G-force tolerance capabilities), and in other training settings to collect data on their physiological response and to stand by in case medical assistance is needed. Physicians also conduct post-training and post-flight physicals.

Some AMPs research G-forces, emergency ejection injuries, microgravity, radiation exposure, hypoxic conditions, fatigue management, the sensory effects of unusual environments, social isolation, and other topics to develop treatments and preventive measures that protect the health and safety of pilots and astronauts. Aerospace medicine physicians must know human factors, physiology, toxicology, psychology, aerospace engineering, and aeronautics to do this type of work.

Other duties for aerospace medicine physicians include participating in accident investigations, conducting toxin exposure analyses if an incident occurs, occasionally going on flights to assess pilot health, working with engineers and ergonomists to improve the comfort of equipment and work environments, and creating plans to maximize pilot or astronaut performance; giving lectures to aviation and aerospace professionals regarding wellness, exercise, mental health issues, and potential in-flight stressors; providing advice to policymakers regarding mental and physical health issues that affect aviation/aerospace professionals; and, in military or space settings, providing updates to squadron or team leaders regarding the overall health and wellness of pilots or astronauts.

Some aerospace medicine physicians also research the mental and physical effects of working in other unhospitable spaces, such as deep in the ocean or at high altitudes on mountains.