Expanding Knowledge and Exposure to Aerospace Medicine by Creating a Medical Student Curriculum

BACKGROUND: Aerospace Medicine is a small medical specialty. With the increasing need for aircraft pilots, continued low Earth orbit NASA operations, and the emergence of commercial spaceflight, there is a necessity for recruiting and educating the next generation of Aerospace Medicine specialists. This study was designed to create and validate a short Aerospace Medicine curriculum.METHODS: Medical students at the University of Texas Medical Branch were recruited to attend a series of six 1-h meetings covering Aerospace Medicine career options and key Aerospace Medicine topics. A survey addressing student demographics, interest in a career in Aerospace Medicine, and knowledge of key Aerospace Medicine topics was administered at the beginning and end of the curriculum. Interest in pursuing a career in Aerospace Medicine pre- and postcurriculum was compared with an independent t-test. The knowledge-based portion of the survey was also evaluated using an independent t-test.RESULTS: There were 23 participants who were recruited and filled out the initial survey and 15 participants who attended the final meeting and filled out the postcurriculum survey. Mean interest in pursuing a career in Aerospace Medicine did not change significantly (75.45% before involvement in the curriculum and 83.08% after participation). Knowledge of foundational Aerospace Medicine topics increased from 64.25% before involvement in the curriculum to 73.33% at the end of the study. There was an average of 12 participants at each meeting.DISCUSSION: This demonstrates the utility of this curriculum as an educational tool for medical students. Future efforts will focus on dissemination of the curriculum nationally and internationally.Kreykes AJ, Petersen EH, Lowry CL.