Space Medicine

The UTHealth Houston Department of Emergency Medicine offers a first-of-its-kind two-year fellowship in Space Medicine. With a focus on providing acute medical care in space, our training program develops physicians who will be trained to provide their medical expertise both on, and off, Earth. The Fellowship is open to American citizens who are graduates of an ACGME accredited Emergency Medicine residency program.

The fellows are expected to maintain clinical competency by working longitudinally in the emergency department throughout their training as well as partaking in collaborative experiences with a multitude of partnering agencies in the aerospace industry with an intent on meeting the needs of future Exploration-class missions.

Because spaceflight presents a unique set of challenges not encountered on Earth, our primary goals are graduates to understand the nuances and limitations of providing medical care in space, obtain hands-on training in interventional procedures that may be necessary on long-duration missions, and master specific concepts within the field of aerospace engineering, among others. For more information on our efforts with Polaris Dawn, please visit the program’s respective mission page which highlights UTHealth Houston’s involvement at: Science & Research – Polaris Program

Training will also include opportunities to take part in research conducted both inside, and outside, of the Department of Emergency Medicine.

We also enjoy a collegial and collaborative relationship with other departments around the hospital who will assist fellows in refining skills not routinely taught in Emergency Medicine residency but are critical to the success of future long-duration spaceflight.

The fellow is involved in the education of the Emergency Medicine residents rotating on the Space Medicine elective and works with the director on all administrative duties, including student, resident, and faculty education.

Program Highlights:

  • Space Medicine Fellowship Application: accepted from August 1st – November 1st
  • 1/2 full-time faculty salary
  • Clinical obligation: 14 shifts every other month as an attending physician in Memorial Hermann-TMC and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital
  • Full program curriculum
  • Interviews will be held between November 14th & December 1st and are held over two days:
    • Day 1: UT Interview
    • Day 2: SpaceX Interview
      • Final selection is made on December 15th

For further assistance, please contact us at SpaceMedicine@uth.tmc.edu.