Wouldn't you guys rather go to OUTER SPACE?

[roseglass6370]

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For $200,000 you should be able to go to med school IN outer space.

This.

(But yeah...the whole idea would be more mind blowing if the trip to space was longer than 90 minutes)

 

[familyaerospace]

Wow! Could you provide information on how to go down this path eventually in an MD career? Is there a specific specialty that I would have to choose in medical school, or is another path entirely required?

To be honest, I don't really want to be part of any military endeavors due to personal convictions. My preference would be to work in some capacity with astronauts/in outer space. Is committing only to outer space flights possible? Thanks!

First, finish med school, then you can either try to go directly into an aerospace medicine residency or, since most of what they do is primary care, go into a primary care field then go into aerospace. I heard from Dr. Jim Logan at NASA that technically the aerospace residency isn't required to get certified although I find it hard to believe. There are either two or three civilian residencies which is what I would have to do since I am not qualified to be in the military due to DADT. If you want to know more details I would suggest listening to this episode of The Space Show : http://thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=1240 . I'm a regular listener as well as a regular guest and I couldn't help asking a question regarding it.

Oh and it helps to start publishing and getting yourself known now if you can. It's a tight community to break into.

 

[Algophiliac]

First, finish med school, then you can either try to go directly into an aerospace medicine residency or, since most of what they do is primary care, go into a primary care field then go into aerospace. I heard from Dr. Jim Logan at NASA that technically the aerospace residency isn't required to get certified although I find it hard to believe. There are either two or three civilian residencies which is what I would have to do since I am not qualified to be in the military due to DADT. If you want to know more details I would suggest listening to this episode of The Space Show : http://thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=1240 . I'm a regular listener as well as a regular guest and I couldn't help asking a question regarding it.

Oh and it helps to start publishing and getting yourself known now if you can. It's a tight community to break into.

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check it out!

Do you mean publishing aerospace medicine-related research papers? Unfortunately I'm only doing a biology major in undergrad at the moment, but I think it would be hard to have any research relating to outer space, even at the medical school level.

Also, although I know it's early to choose a specialty for me, I was always curious about neurology, even though it doesn't really count as primary care for some reason. So is it off limits in aerospace medicine, as well?

 

[familyaerospace]

Yes, I mean publishing aerospace related papers. I have one paper that was published in 2006 and I've had a few related conference proceedings on some research I did including another one that I will be presenting in Feb. However, just getting your name out there regardless will help. Since you're an undergrad, you could probably just publish some lit reviews and that might be good enough. Can't hurt to at least attend conferences and network with everyone.

I like neurology personally and there is a neurological component to space motion sickness. However, most of what an aerospace doctor does is primary care related.

 

[Algophiliac]

Yes, I mean publishing aerospace related papers. I have one paper that was published in 2006 and I've had a few related conference proceedings on some research I did including another one that I will be presenting in Feb. However, just getting your name out there regardless will help. Since you're an undergrad, you could probably just publish some lit reviews and that might be good enough. Can't hurt to at least attend conferences and network with everyone.

I like neurology personally and there is a neurological component to space motion sickness. However, most of what an aerospace doctor does is primary care related.

Unfortunately I'm entirely clueless on what literature reviews actually are, so I will have to do some intensive research in that direction as well, it seems. Exactly which conferences are available for undergrads to attend...and how can I network with no true prior experience in aerospace medicine? I would feel so out of place at an aerospace medicine conference because of this!

Ah, I see. 🙁 So there is no hope of ever integrating neurology-focused research into a career in aerospace medicine?

 

[MaryLennox]

Ok, so the space doctor community is tight now. But now that the ball is rolling on space tourism, I bet it will become huge and suddenly there will be a bigger demand for space docs?? Maybe?? And how's that for prestige: "Hey, my daddy is a doctor." "BFD, my mommy is a doctor . . . IN SPACE"

And if i become a space doctor, I will wear my Dr Spaceman t shirt on every flight

 

[familyaerospace]

Unfortunately I'm entirely clueless on what literature reviews actually are, so I will have to do some intensive research in that direction as well, it seems. Exactly which conferences are available for undergrads to attend...and how can I network with no true prior experience in aerospace medicine? I would feel so out of place at an aerospace medicine conference because of this!

Ah, I see. 🙁 So there is no hope of ever integrating neurology-focused research into a career in aerospace medicine?

Literature review is basically a review of the literature. Most papers that one would write in undergrad (at least if yours was anything like mine) would be a lightweight version of a lit review.

Almost all conferences allow undergrads to attend and many give special rates. Some have special sessions dedicated to helping undergrads or grads present their first papers. Everyone starts off with no experience. My first conference was presenting an aerospace psych related paper in the human factors session at an engineering conference which had a focus on life support systems. I was quite literally the youngest presenter. Honestly, I think I was the youngest attendee! The key is to come in with some knowledge and try to ask good questions. If you can present, then people will just come up to you and ask for your business or networking card and will start chatting you up especially if you are the last person in your session to go.

I wouldn't say never. Eventually there will be, but right now there isn't much. Right now, they don't let any known neurological conditions fly in outer space due to the risks. All the neurological problems that occur up there (and there are some) develop due to microgravity. When the space tourism companies start to fly, whenever the heck that will be, eventually they will probably loosen the regulations. If people start living in space for a very extended time period, it would not surprise me if some type of aerospace neurologist might be needed. To me, I think neurology shouldn't be a problem, but I just pass on the knowledge that I hear.

I will never forget the look on my neurologist's face when I asked him if an epileptic could be a space tourist. Poor guy was NOT expecting that question from me. It was the first time he was almost rendered speechless. Eventually he did come to his senses and attempted to answer the question stating that it depended on the patient, their form of epilepsy, if it was controlled and how controlled was it, how long the flight was, etc. Like he would trust me to go, but he did make me swear that the epileptic wasn't the one flying the aircraft. 🙄

 

[artx2008]

I wouldn't go to the outer space even if they paid me $200,000 to go.

 

[familyaerospace]

It's probably going to be tight for some time given that you need to do research to get certified and it's hard to get a civilian residency since there are only a few and there are a lot of people who went through military version of residency. Those individuals are going to be the ones most likely to be hired by the space tourism companies. Another thing people have to consider is that space tourism has been considered "only two years away" for about 20 years now. I'm starting to wonder if it will ever happen which is really sad given as though I have spent the past 5 years of my life dedicating my life to aerospace medicine.