Executive Education in Aerospace Medicine and Health
As the national university we prepare leaders to make a difference and to shape the future of health and healthcare in Australia and the region. We are developing executive education in Aerospace Medicine and Health to train health care professionals in the aviation and/or space environments.
Our executive education program in Aerospace Medicine and Health (currently under development) offers an opportunity to understand more about humans in the aviation and/or space environments. This planned suite of short courses is the product of an exciting collaboration between Australia’s national university and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. These courses offer something for all professionals who work in the health and/or aerospace industries, including:
- medical practitioners who are looking to increase their knowledge to better care for their patients – both those who work in the aerospace industry or passengers;
- health professionals (such as psychologists, nurses, paramedics, physiotherapist, dieticians etc) who undertake aeromedical retrieval, care for aircrew, or who have an interest in contributing to the field;
- other professionals working in the aerospace industry.
We are offering two courses in 2025 and seeking expressions of interest for a course to be run in 2026:
- Principles of Aerospace Medicine for Medical Professionals: This is a two-day face to face course for any interested and qualified doctor, including GPs, other specialists, and hospital doctors. It covers the basics of aviation medicine and aeromedical decision making. We plan to run three courses this year in May, August and Nov or Dec. As a standalone course this does not qualify you as a DAME, however, CASA has agreed that the course content will cover the academic component for DAME designation if completed together with a 3 day practical face-to face DAME qualification course.
- Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) Refresher Course: This is a one day 1-day course for qualified DAMEs that will satisfy CASA requirements for DAME currency. It will provide a back-to basics reminder of aviation medicine fundamentals and apply that knowledge to case studies. This course will be run the day prior to the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ASAM) conference in Adelaide.
- Foundations of Aerospace Health (FASH) Course (2026): This will be a 7-week online course that will go into much greater depth on both aviation and space medicine. We are planning to open this up to all professionals involved with humans in the aviation and space industries, including other health personnel, and anyone who has a role in supporting humans in these environments. CASA has agreed that the course content will cover the academic component for DAME qualification.
Key people
Professor Gordon Cable AM, Professor in Space Medicine, Course Convenor, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology
Professor Cable is a Professor of Space Medicine at ANU, Fellow of the Australasian College of Aerospace Medicine, co-founder of Human Aerospace, longtime RAAF Institute of Aviation Medicine staff, was Space Medicine & Life Sciences Lead (2020–21) at the Australian Space Agency, and holds multiple aerospace Fellowships.
Professor Tracy Smart AO, Professor, Military and Aerospace Medicine, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology
Professor Smart is Professor of Military & Aerospace Medicine at ANU, focusing on health security, military service impacts, leadership, and as a Space Medicine Mission Specialist. A physician and retired RAAF senior officer, she served 35 years, including RAF/USAF exchanges, overseas deployments, and as ADF Surgeon General.
Dr Kate Manderson, Principal Medical Officer, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Dr Manderson is Principal Medical Officer for Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority. She specialized in aerospace medicine through the ADF (Royal Australian Navy) before joining the civil sector. She’s a Fellow of RAeS, AsMA, ACAsM, and RACGP, with broad experience in medical education, leadership, and governance, focusing on rural healthcare.
Dr Tony Hochberg, Deputy Principal Medical Officer, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Dr Hochberg is Deputy Principal Medical Officer at CASA, with a background as an Aviation Doctor for CAA NZ/CASA and Corporate Physician, managing aeromedical retrievals, hyperbaric repatriation, and travel health. He taught aviation medicine (postgrad) and occupational medicine at ECU, Otago, and Curtin.
Partners
Dr Kate Manderson, Principal Medical Officer, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
'CASA is excited to see the development of aviation medicine education opportunities by ANU. No matter what the specialty, every doctor in Australia is likely to provide care to pilots and air traffic controllers in their practice. Being able to understand the setting where their patient works (and plays), and how the care provided contributes to the aviation safety system, will help those doctors provide the best care possible. CASA also welcomes the opportunity to have initial and currency training for doctors who are designated within the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations provided by an academic institution of the calibre of ANU.'
Feedback from our first course in December 2024
What were the strengths of the course?
- The access to Kate and Tracy and Gordon and their immense knowledge
- Experienced speakers
- Provided a good foundation and practical tips
- Experience of the presenters, their enthusiasm and particularly the physiology and relevance to the flight environment
- The interactions with speakers and other delegates was invaluable