Mission

The U.S. Army Aerospace Medicine Residency prepares physicians to serve as clinically competent and operationally relevant leaders that advocate for and advance the science and practice of Aerospace, Occupational, Environmental, and Preventive Medicine.

Vision

The program’s graduates are recognized as global experts in aerospace and operational medicine.

Aims

It is the aim of the program to provide quality clinical and didactic training that incorporates the ACGME competencies and Aerospace Medicine milestones to ensure that the resident physicians can, upon graduation, complete the program aims.

• Demonstrate the ability to provide routine quality clinical care to patients
• Apply relevant scientific concepts relating to the aerospace environment and its impact on physiology to inform patient care decisions
• Develop experience and expertise in effective communication including to senior leadership, risk communication, leadership abilities, demonstrated teamwork, and management capabilities
• Conduct aeromedical evaluations and understand, develop, update, and/or apply medical standards

Residents attend mandatory academics that focus on medical topics relevant to general and operational medicine. Residents will present often during the academic year on a variety of subjects regarding aerospace and occupational medicine. They will also participate in quarterly journal clubs.

The academic year consists of 48 weeks with the difference being vacation, holidays, and military training.

The academic year consists of 48 weeks with the difference being vacation time, holidays, and military training. You will enter the Occupational Medicine year in advanced standing after your Aerospace Medicine residency is complete, because you will have already graduated from the Aerospace Medicine residency program and completed an MPH.

• U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona
• Pikes Peak, Colorado
• U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Lab, Ft. Rucker, Alabama
• Aviation Resource Management Survey (various locations)

Residents will occasionally be on call to evaluate potential cases of Decompression Sickness (DCS) from the hypobaric chamber as well as for the installation Flight Surgeon on Call (i.e. aviation mishaps in the local area). Residents will participate in the MEDEVAC of these probable DCS patients to a hyperbaric chamber.

• ASOC – Army Safety Officer Course
• MTM – Military Tropical Medicine Course
• GM – Global Medicine Symposium
• AFSPC – Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course
• JECC – Joint Enroute Critical Care Course
• IDES – Integrated Disability Evaluation System
• AAMA – Aeromedical Physical Qualification
• MEDC – Medical Evacuation Doctrine Course
• Army MEDEVAC rotation
• ASCBC – Army Space Cadre Basic Course
• OAP – Operational Aeromedical Problems Course
• MCBC – Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course

• MPH – You must successfully complete the MPH program by the end of the second year of the RAM program
• AFSPC – Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course
• ASOC – Army Safety Officer Course
• MTM – Military Tropical Medicine Course or GM – Global Medicine Symposium
• JECC – Joint Enroute Critical Care Course
• MEDC – Medical Evacuation Doctrine Course
• OAP – Operational Aeromedical Problems Course
• MCBC – Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course
• CAMI – Civil Aeromedical Institute Course
• FAA – Federal Aviation Administration mini-Aeromedical Examiner course
• SPMC – Space Medicine Course

Residents will utilize simulation for BLS, ALS, PALS, Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course and Joint Enroute Critical Care (JECC) course.

There are multiple opportunities for residents to take on leadership roles within the program. Residents receive Leadership Professional Development throughout the year from numerous local and guest speakers.

• Residents are required to complete a capstone research project as part of the Master of Public Health program. The research project will be presented in the spring semester of the second year of the MPH.
• Residents are also required to present a case report at the Aerospace Medicine Association Annual Scientific Meeting during their Aerospace Medicine program and a poster at the American Occupational Health Conference during their Occupational Medicine program.
• The residency shares a close relationship with the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, also located on Fort Rucker. Residents may be able to participate in research activities with a clerkship or long-term collaboration during residency.

All residents are part of the Training Enhancement in Aerospace Medicine (TEAM), encompassing monthly programmatic assessments to track continued programmatic improvement.

• Funding is available for residents to attend at least one professional conference during each residency year such as AsMA and AOHC. Residents present national lectures and research posters at these two national conferences.
• There are multiple opportunities for residents to take on leadership roles within the program.
• Residents receive Leadership Professional Development throughout the year from numerous local and guest speakers.

• Department of Aviation Medicine, Fort Rucker, Alabama
• Lyster Army Health Clinic, Fort Rucker, Alabama
• University of West Florida (MPH), Pensacola, Florida
• Flowers Hospital, Dothan, Alabama
• U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama
• Primecare, Dothan, Alabama
• Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia
• Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
• Aeromedical Authority, Fort Rucker, Alabama
• Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• USAMRIID and USARICD, Ft. Detrick & Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
• Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida
• Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Alabama
• 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
• Joint Base San Antonio, Texas
• Virgin Galactic, Las Cruces, New Mexico
• OSHA, Mobile, Alabama
• Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Our program offers rotations to fourth-year medical students and transitional year interns. Rotations are typically four weeks long. Rotators will work with our resident medical student coordinator to finalize their rotation schedule.

• Rotation duration is flexible and can be coordinated through the GME coordinator and Program Directors.
• Request should be submitted with two months’ notice prior to the start of clinical duties to ensure adequate planning of a quality educational experience and that all administrative processes are completed before arrival to our site.
• Medical students may request funded rotations (active duty orders) or unfunded rotations (at the expense of the member). Rotation requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to rotation availability.

If you would like to schedule an interview with our program, please contact medcoesaamgme@army.mil.

Residents are board eligible for the Aerospace Medicine Board after successful completion of the second year of the program and completion of the MPH. Residents are board eligible for the Occupational Medicine Board once they graduate from the final year of the program. The American Board of Preventive Medicine website contains helpful information including exam registration, application dates, exam date range, fees, and exam content breakdown.

Park in the Lyster Army Health Clinic front parking lot. Enter the building through the automatic double doors and follow that hallway towards the rear of the building. When that hallway ends, take a right toward the LAHC Command Suite. Make a left before the Command Suite hallway begins (snack bar area) and proceed to the back of the building. You will come across a large sign for DAM. Once you pass that sign, make your next immediate right and enter the hallway door that is marked (SAAM Conference Room). The first office on your right will be that of the GME Coordinator.

Residents teach their peers at weekly academics and quarterly journal clubs.

Residents instruct during the following courses:

• U.S. Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course
• Initial Entry Rotary-Wing flight students
• Initial Entry Fixed-Wing students
• MEDEVAC Doctrine Course
• Joint En Route Critical Care Course
• Aviation Aeromedical Critical Care Course
• Aeromedical Psychological Course
• Operational Aeromedical Problems Course

Core faculty are Aerospace and Occupational Medicine specialists. Some faculty are also boarded in other specialties, such as Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, and Hyperbaric Medicine.

We treat our residents as peers and take ownership and accountability of our roles as medical, career, and life mentors to our residents.

We do not formerly assign mentors. Instead, we host various social activities to integrate residents with RAM graduates, allowing the residents to find a mentor that fits with their personal and professional goals.

At weekly didactics the residents and program leadership have purposeful time for camaraderie and open-ended question and answer sessions to discuss any ongoing concerns that affect wellness and well-being. Questions can be professional or personal in nature. The program hosts occasional potlucks and/or activities (e.g. bowling) to promote connections amongst residents, families, and program leadership.

We work closely with our residents and listen to their concerns and work hard to resolve them.