Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) Refresher Course
Overview
This professional education course provides upskilling and refresher training for Designated Aviation Medical Examiners (DAMEs) who conduct assessments of applicants for a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Aviation Medical Certificate. It revises the environmental physiology of flight, refreshes processes of aeromedical decision making, factors affecting pilot performance and the impact of clinical conditions on flight safety. The course has been designed for former and current CASA Designated Aviation Medical Examiners to refresh their knowledge and maintain clinical currency to the standards prescribed by CASA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Developed collaboratively by academic experts from the ANU and CASA, this course promises to keep DAMEs up to date in this specialty area, ensuring a safer sky for all.
Key facts
- 1 day
- In-person
- $TBA
- Certificate + Gain CPD points
Course details
Learning outcomes
The aim of this short course is to equip participants with a knowledge of the fundamentals of aerospace medicine, and to apply Australian regulatory standards to aeromedical certification, assess risks and environmental stressors, evaluate aircraft-related health and safety concerns, determine fitness for flight, and analyse the impact of medical conditions on flight safety.
By completing this course, participants will have the skills and knowledge to:
- Apply principles of aeromedical decision making and risk assessment when providing opinions on medical certificate applicants.
- Critically evaluate the impact of environmental stressors of flight on human physiology and medical conditions
- Assess the impact medical and physiological factors on pilot performance and flight safety.
- Critically evaluate how various medical conditions may affect fitness for flight and degrade flight safety.
Who should enrol
To meet the requirements of the Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) Refresher course you must be a medical doctor with:
- Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree in Medicine; AND
- Current medical registration with AHPRA; AND
- Fellowship of a specialist medical college (including General Practice); AND
- Be a former or current qualified CASA Designated Aviation Medical Examiner.
Delivery
- The course will provide approximately one day (8 hours) of face-to-face engagement including lectures and case studies. Approximately 4 hours of pre-course preparation time is expected to prepare a clinical case study for presentation at the workshops.
- Morning sessions: Aeromedical Decision Making, Altitude and Environmental Physiology, Pilot Performance
- Afternoon sessions: Human Performance, Clinical Aviation Medicine Workshops & Case Discussions.
- Location: The course will run in person immediately prior to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ASAM).
2025 Dates
Course date for 2025 is 18 September 2025 in Adelaide, immediately prior to the ASAM 2025 Conference. Venue is TBA.
Fees & inclusions
Fees
TBA
Inclusions
- ANU Certificate of Participation.
- Access to Aerospace Medicine specialists from the Australian National University and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
- Administrative and teaching support.
- Catering: morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea.
Cancellation
The Australian National University and CASA reserve the right to cancel or modify the course details, dates, and venues. Registrations exceeding capacity or insufficient enrolments may result in cancellation, with participants notified promptly.
Refunds
Participants may be eligible for refunds under certain conditions:
- If ANU cancels the course.
- If a visa application is refused (proof required).
- If cancellation occurs six weeks before the start date.
No refunds for withdrawals within six weeks of the start date. Registration can be transferred to a substitute participant of to a later course.
Partner
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.