Canadian Space Agency
www.asc-csa.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Table of Contents
Space Medicine
Aerospace Medicine Elective
The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Operational Space Medicine (OSM) Group funds Canadian medical students or residents to attend a four week Aerospace Medicine Elective at NASA or the University of Texas Medical Branch each year.
Purpose
To promote awareness of aerospace medicine and to encourage Canadians to pursue interests in this area, the CSA seeks to provide training opportunities for Canadian medical students and residents in aerospace medicine. Currently, two aerospace medicine training opportunities are available at NASA, one at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and one at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and one training opportunity is available at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
The JSC Aerospace Medicine Clerkship Program is designed to provide students with exposure to the clinical, operational and research aspects of space medicine. The KSC Medical Education Program emphasizes aerospace medicine and occupational medicine. The UTMB Introduction to Aerospace Medicine Course provides an overview of aviation and space medicine.
Both NASA and UTMB have agreed to reserve positions in their programs for CSA selected Canadian medical students or residents each year.
Description
JSC Aerospace Medicine Clerkship Program
The Aerospace Medicine Clerkship at JSC involves a structured schedule of formal lectures on space medicine topics, exposure to manned testing operations, and familiarization with the medical aspects of space shuttle operations and space station design and function. The clerkship also involves a research project on current issues in space medicine. A written research report and presentation are required.
KSC Medical Elective
The KSC Medical Elective consists of lectures in aerospace medicine topics, clinical rotations at the Occupational and Environmental Health Facilities (for KSC staff), participation in tours and mission support activities and self-study of aerospace medicine data. Participants will also be required to present a research project on an aerospace medicine topic. The curriculum schedule is flexible to be able to adjust to KSC's dynamic schedule of activities.
UTMB Introduction to Aerospace Medicine
The UTMB Introduction to Aerospace Medicine is intended to provide a thorough familiarization with the history of aviation, spaceflight and the specialty of aerospace medicine, human physiology in aviation and spaceflight, human factors engineering concepts related to aviation and spaceflight, the role of aerospace medicine specialists in the selection, training, medical certification and health maintenance of aviation and spaceflight personnel.
Pre and Post-elective Meetings
Successful candidates are required to attend a one-day meeting at the CSA Headquarters in Longueuil, Quebec prior to their elective and return to the CSA following their elective to present their research projects. They are also required to provide a written report on their research project. The subject of the research topic will be negotiated with the OSM group and will relate to current OSM interests.
Dates and Location
At least one candidate will be selected for each of the following elective sessions:
| October 2010 | NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas |
| October 2010 | NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida |
| April 2011 | NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas |
| July 2011 | University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas |
| October 2011 | NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas |
The pre and post-elective meetings at the CSA usually take place in September.
The exact dates of the sessions and meetings will be confirmed with the successful candidates.
Exceptionally, this year the CSA will select participants for both the October 2010 and October 2011 electives. The next competition will be held in the fall of 2011 for 2012 aerospace medicine training opportunities.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Aerospace Medicine Elective candidates must meet the following criteria:
1) Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada at the time of application; and
2) Be in the final year of medical school or in a residency program at the time of the elective.
Selected candidates will be required to provide proof of citizenship or permanent residency. Selected residents may be required to provide a copy of their medical license.
Please note that all three programs are conducted entirely in English. Selected candidates whose first language is not English may be required to provide evidence of English proficiency.
Funding
The CSA will fund travel and living expenses up to a total value of $6,000 (Canadian dollars) per student.
Application Procedure and Forms
Interested candidates must submit the following documents by no later than 1 June 2010.
1) A completed Application for Aerospace Medicine Elective.
2) A completed Letter of Evaluation.
3) An official copy of your medical school transcript.
4) A letter from the Elective Co-ordinator of your medical school or Program Director of your residency program stating that (a) you are a student/resident in good academic standing and (b) your medical school/residency program has approved this elective for your individual course of study.
Mail all completed forms and application materials to:
Operational Space Medicine - Post-Graduate Training
Astronauts, Life Science and Space Medicine
John H. Chapman Space Centre
6767 Route de l'Aéroport
St-Hubert, QC J3Y 8Y9
Selection
A CSA committee of Operational Space Medicine staff will evaluate each candidate based on the following criteria
- Education and experience;
- Interest and career goals in aerospace medicine; and
- Abilities and skills based on assessment of candidate provided in letter of evaluation.
The highest ranked candidates will be selected to participant in and receive funding for one of the above mentioned training opportunities.
Service Standards
We will acknowledge receipt of your application within 1 week of receiving your complete application package.
We will respond to your application by 1 August 2010 (9 weeks from the closing date of the competition).
A grant agreement will be sent to successful candidates for signature by 15 August 2010 (11 weeks from the closing date of the competition).
Contact
Operational Space Medicine - Post-graduate Training
Astronauts, Life Science and Space Medicine
John H. Chapman Space Centre
6767 route de l'Aéroport
Saint-Hubert, Quebec J3Y 8Y9
E-mail: medicine@asc-csa.gc.ca
