5 Top Reasons to Consider a Career in Space Medicine
Space medicine – not everyone’s first thought when they consider a career as a doctor or nurse. But, despite the considerable challenges in carving out a career in this niche field, it’s usually a dream come true for those who make it. If you combine a passion for medicine with a fascination for all things astro, then training to become a space physician, flight surgeon, or astronaut doctor, may be the opportunity you have been looking for all these years. Below are five good reasons to consider this career move:
1. It’s at the cutting edge of advances in medicine
Due to the relative lack of knowledge about how the body operates at zero gravity (both in health, sickness and after being at zero gravity for prolonged periods), and because there is considerable vested interest in knowing more about it, space medicine is very much at the forefront of science & research. The field is evolving rapidly through experimentation and smart use of technology, and with longer stints in space likely in the future, the need for more research, awareness and indeed physicians who are able to deal with medical problems caused by or experienced while in space will certainly be on the increase.
2. It could be your ‘golden ticket’
With NASA recently confirming the likelihood of flowing water on Mars, the future of space travel will involve manned missions to the ‘Red Planet’. If we consider the strong possibility of mass space tourism soon, through enterprises like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, the prospects in space medicine are certainly growing. More opportunities to get established in this field are coming – and those who start the process now will be best positioned.
3. You may get a chance to experience space travel
Is your dream to man a space shuttle or to work on the International Space Station? All astronauts receive basic medical training to cope with the rigours of being in space and emergencies that may arise; but the need for qualified medics as part of the crew will increase as missions to space become longer. Mars is approximately two years travel time away, for instance. Also, when space tourism begins in earnest it is highly likely that trained medics will need to be part of the crew, given that paying passengers are unlikely to be as fit or as medically adept as astronauts, who receive two years training prior to flying.
4. It’s more exciting than being a GP
If you’ve ever caught yourself looking up at the moon and wondering where it all leads, or sneaking a second or third watch of that Star Trek episode, you’ll probably find space medicine more exciting than most other medical fields. Even if you don’t get to be a medic in space itself, you could help screen and train astronauts, be part of the ground crew during a mission, or help with experiments that change the history of medicine.
5. The unique medical challenges
The extreme stresses that the human body is exposed to in space present unique physical challenges of great interest to most in the medical profession. Some of the conditions that space physicians need to be familiar with include cardiac rhythm disturbances, baro-trauma, decompression sickness, decreased immune system function, greater risk of infection, bone density loss and muscle loss, radiation-related conditions, psychological problems and insomnia.
Making it in space medicine is a challenge that takes commitment and dedication – it is very competitive and certainly not for everyone – but the rewards for people who get there are huge.
Until recently, only a few space doctors were practicing in the whole of Europe; but new frontiers are opening up for such careers all the time.
Could it be the field that you have been looking for? If so, find out how you can get into this amazing field by ordering your copy of How to Become a Space Doctor.