The Aerospace Medicine Fellowship at Mayo Clinic begins with an orientation program in Rochester during the summer of the academic year. The summer is clinically intensive to meet clinical time requirements before the start of the online academic training with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.

While obtaining the MPH, you receive a full stipend and benefits from Mayo Clinic while your tuition at the University of Minnesota is paid. Additional training includes specialty rotations at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, rotations at Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona and Florida, flight training, and training with the FAA at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute in Oklahoma City.

Flight training is required to learn the basic principles of flight and the characteristics of the flight environment that affect human physiology, cognition, and pathology. Prior exposure to space research or operations is helpful as access to space operational facilities is subject to further application by the fellow and factors outside the administrative control of the fellowship. Past fellows have participated in remote work with researchers at the Johnson Space Center on an elective basis, and this is encouraged subject to NASA approval of the competitive rotation application by the fellow.

Academic training

Fellows are required to complete online coursework and attend to clinical and other academic duties in person at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and the other sites. The MPH research requirements typically run into the second year. We expect the fellow to complete the MPH degree no later than 18 months into the fellowship. 

Objectives of the academic training at the University of Minnesota include:

• Identify and define biological, chemical, physical, and other environmental factors that affect the health of persons in the community and be able to identify and define measures for the detection and control of those factors
• Identify and define social, cultural, political, economic, behavioral, and other factors that affect the health of persons in a community and be able to identify and define an appropriate method of changing those factors to achieve a higher level of health in that community
• Identify and describe components and operation of health service delivery systems as they affect prevention and health care for individuals in the community
• Identify, define, and demonstrate ability to apply methods, techniques, and procedures of information collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, reporting, and interpretation
• Identify and define factors that inhibit or facilitate cross-disciplinary cooperation and through course work or field experience, demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge in the solution of public health problems requiring cross-disciplinary participation 

Clinical training

Fellows will apply the principles learned in academic coursework to their clinical experiences.

Clinical objectives at Mayo Clinic:

• Develop further proficiency in individual patient and population-based aerospace medical approaches underscoring the links among environment, host, and disease
• Manage aeromedical FAA certification for professional and private pilots
• Demonstrate understanding of ethical, social, legal, and cultural issues related to aeromedical preventive risk assessment and interventions
• Refine communication skills at all levels — groups and other health professionals — about health risks, and appropriate preventive interventions
• Develop skills in computer literature searching, word processing, and data management
• Demonstrate skills in applying epidemiologic concepts in study design, analysis, and critical appraisal of literature
• Develop leadership skills and competence in the management of the health of flyers and passengers
• Demonstrate understanding of aerospace environmental and occupational health issues and regulations
• Develop clinical aeromedical skills and competence

Rotations, courses, and experiences

Core rotations include:

• Basic and advanced aerospace and aeromedical sciences at Mayo Clinic and the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
• Hypobaric and hyperbaric chamber physiologic and clinical training
• Civil aviation/FAA experiences including the basic Aviation Medical Examiner course
• Aeromedical transport experiences including Mayo Clinic medical transportation flights
• Aeromedical research project
• Mayo on-site clinical experiences in aerospace medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, neurology, and sleep medicine

Unless intrinsic to the rotation such as the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, the majority of time is spent on campus at a Mayo Clinic site.  

Research

Your opportunities for research at Mayo Clinic are outstanding. During the fellowship, you will complete a research project in the Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine. Fellows are expected to start their research project early in the first year to allow sufficient time to accomplish a high-quality and publishable project.

Evaluation

To ensure that fellows acquire adequate knowledge and practical skills, program performance is monitored throughout the fellowship and formally evaluated quarterly. In-training exams will measure progress and prepare fellows for eventual board certification.