FAQs for Aerospace Medicine Residency

Aerospace Medicine FAQs

• 1. What is Aerospace Medicine?

  Aerospace medicine focuses on the clinical care, research, and operational support of the health, safety, and performance of crewmembers and passengers of air and space vehicles, together with the support personnel who assist operation of such vehicles.  AsMA | Aerospace Medical Association

• 2. What is the value of formal, ACGME-accredited training and board certification in Aerospace Medicine?

  Just as in any other medical specialty, accredited training and board certification in Aerospace Medicine are the gold standard, thereby maximizing your hiring potential anywhere in the industry. In recent years, multiple organizations and medical societies have formally documented policies on the importance of these credentials in Aerospace Medicine. This includes: 

  • AsMA Resolution 2022-01: Importance of Accredited Training and Board Certification in Aerospace Medicine for the Growing Commercial Space Industry

  • Related Policy: AOA Resolution H-222 20JUL2024

  • NASA OCHMO Memo

  • FAA Recommended Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety

  • AsMA Resolution 2020-01: Vital Nature of Board-Certified Physicians in Aerospace Medicine

  • Related Policy: AMA HOD Resolution 405.949 JUN2022

  • Related Policy: AOA Resolution H-201 17JUL2021

  • Potomac Institute Aerospace Medicine Core Competencies Report
• 3. For how many years has the program been in existence? What is the experience like?

  The Residency in Aerospace Medicine was founded in 1993 as a joint collaboration between UTMB and NASA Johnson Space Center. We have proudly been training physicians to become experts in Aerospace Medicine for over 30 years. In that time, our alumni and faculty have been found supporting all aspects of the space and aviation industries, including Axiom Space, the FAA, NASA, Sierra Space, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. They can also be found supporting various branches of the United States military with whom we share a valued relationship.

  The first year of the residency is focused on the Masters in Aerospace Medicine. The content of this degree is continuously being updated so that the latest in Aerospace Medicine is being taught. Our core faculty brings decades of operational, research, and leadership experience to the classroom. We have over three dozen visiting faculty – world class experts – teaching you in what is arguably one of the best student-to-teacher ratios you will ever find! These experts hail from commercial space companies, the U.S. military, NASA, the FAA, and more. Wherever you may land, this personalized education is what will launch you to success upon graduation.

• 4.  What if you already have a Master of Public Health or other Master’s degree?

  We will review your transcripts and other pertinent material with faculty in the School of Public and Population Health (SPPH). We may be able to give credit for prior courses. Of note, the M.S. in Aerospace Medicine contains a significant amount of material unique, and in some cases proprietary, to this field of study and will still be required. This matter will be addressed on a case-by-case basis with you if accepted into the residency.

• 5. Is there a minimum USMLE/COMPLEX score required to apply?

  We look at scores as part of your overall application, and there is no minimum to apply.
  

• 6. What if I cannot pass a NASA/military physical examination? Does that mean I will not be able to do the residency?

  Certain activities may come with a fitness for duty requirement that is not set by the Aerospace Medicine Division. If you have questions about the impact of your health on partaking in the residency, please contact us directly.

• 7. What jobs are available after I complete training?

  Over 30 years, our alumni have secured positions in many different arenas within the space and aviation industries, including Axiom Space, the FAA, NASA, Sierra Space, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Vast, and Virgin Galactic. More specifically at NASA, areas of opportunity have included the Flight Medicine Clinic, Medical Operations, Occupational Medicine Clinic, Neutral Buoyancy Lab, and the Human Research Program. Most individuals begin as contract employees before joining the civil servant workforce. In more recent years, other alumni have been hired into commercial space companies.

• 8. Do I need a military background to apply?

  No. However, it is worth noting that many of our faculty, alumni, and current employees on the Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC2) have ties to the U.S. military, and we are proud to support them.
  

• 9. Do I need a pilot's license to apply?

  No. A number of our residents do have a private pilot’s license; some enter the residency with it, others work towards it during training. The program provides limited flight training exposure during the residency.

• 10. What is the interview day like for the UTMB Residency in Aerospace Medicine?

  Applicants invited for an interview will be part of a two day, virtual interview process. This will include UTMB faculty, and may also include a number of other representatives from University partners, e.g. government, academia, and commercial space companies.

• 11. What type of preparation would you recommend prior to applying to the residency?

  Study to be a competent and great physician in whatever field of medicine you choose to pursue. Aerospace Medicine will draw on those skills and build upon it. Next, take the initiative to better understand what this field is all about. This can be done in a number of ways, including but not limited to: attending the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) annual conference, being an active member of the Aerospace Medicine Student and Resident Organization (AMSRO), virtually attending UTMB Aerospace Medicine Grand Rounds, and applying to the NASA Johnson Space Center Clerkship, the NASA Kennedy Space Center Medical Education Program, or UTMB’s Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine (PASM) course.

• 12. Which medical specialties have been admitted to the program in the past?

  A number of different disciplines have come thru our program, including Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Surgery, Psychiatry, Neurology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

  Click here to see a list of our current residents and recent graduates.

• 13. What are HHPC and HHPC2?

  UTMB partnered with KBR under the 10-year Human Health and Performance Contract (HHPC), which recently concluded. Through this contract, we provided services in astronaut health, occupational health, and research at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. In 2025, NASA awarded KBR the follow-on Human Health and Performance Contract 2 (HHPC2), which began its five-year performance period on November 1, 2025. There are two optional extensions that could continue the HHPC2 contract through 2035. UTMB Aerospace Medicine is proud to serve as a teammate on HHPC2, continuing our commitment to advancing human health and performance in space.