Space Medicine Scholarly Concentration

Application Timeline and Flexibility

Students may apply to the Space Medicine Scholarly Concentration as MS1 or MS2 students. Applications open January 1 and close February 28 annually. Requirements during MS1-MS2 are intentionally flexible and may be completed in a non-linear order to accommodate individual schedules and academic demands. We anticipate accepting between 1 and 3 students annually.

Coursework, Location, and Access

The concentration consists of McGovern-based mentorship and scholarship, asynchronous online coursework, and external experiential opportunities (see Year-by-Year Requirements and SC Timeline below for details). External components such as FAA AME shadowing, NASA-affiliated activities, and specialty observational experiences are arranged individually and scheduled during academic breaks, elective time, or other non-conflicting periods.

Mentorship and Faculty Guidance

All students accepted into the concentration are paired with a faculty mentor based on availability and scholarly interests. Mentor matching and longitudinal guidance are overseen by program leadership, including Dr. Lehnhardt, Dr. Heft, and Dr. Power.

Scholarly Project Requirements

Each student will complete a scholarly project culminating in scholarly dissemination. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, a poster or presentation at a local or national conference (i.e. McGovern Medical School Senior Research Symposium, the Aerospace Medical Association Annual Scientific Meeting, or the Outer Space Medicine Education and Research Symposium) and/or submission to a relevant peer-reviewed journal (i.e. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance) by the end of the MS4 year. Acceptable project categories include clinical or translational research, quality improvement, operational or human factors research, medical education, and policy or ethics scholarship related to space medicine.

Space Medicine Blue Book Series

Completion of the Space Medicine Blue Book (Extracurricular Elective) seminar series is suggested by the end of MS4. Enrollment is open to all interested students; program directors will assist with coordination as needed. The Blue Book is a longitudinal didactic series consisting of expert-led lectures and case-based discussions in aerospace and space medicine. Enrollment is coordinated through current Blue Book leadership (NASA and UTMB) with assistance from program directors. If this opportunity is unavailable or not feasible, students can work with SCP directors individually to find an alternative extracurricular elective.

MS1-MS2:

• Join Aerospace Medicine Student and Resident Organization (AMRSO)
  • https://www.amsro.org/membership (external link)
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) Shadowing
  • Students will engage in shadowing physicians in the performance of a FAA aviation medical exam – a physical that pilots are required to complete.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMKS2EJDXd0 (external link)
  • https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide (external link)
• Engage in independent reading assignments (see Required Reading List below)
• NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) tour
  • https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/neutral-buoyancy-laboratory/ (external link)
• Identify faculty and research mentor with help of faculty directors and initiate scholarly project
• Enroll in bluebook Space Medicine series
  • Contact current leadership in Space Medicine bluebook to be added to the schedule – program faculty can assist with this

MS3:

• Complete Coursera Space Medicine online course and obtain certificate:
  • https://www.coursera.org/learn/space-medicine-duke (external link)
• Continue independent reading (refer to reading list)
• Attend AsMA or OSMED conference (as schedule permits)
• Dive, undersea, or hyperbaric shadowing
  • Students will shadow a physician working in at least one of these specialties (ex: hyperbaric medicine at Memorial Hermann TMC)

MS4:

• Complete Space Medicine Blue Book seminar series
• Bookwork (refer to reading list below)
• Complete the Space Medicine elective rotation (COSMOS 401)
  • https://med.uth.edu/emergencymedicine/2025/03/21/launching-the-future-of-space-medicine-uth-ems-cosmos-rotation-takes-off/
• Optional NASA Clerkship (if schedule permits)
  • JSC Clerkship: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/hhp/aerospace-medicine-clerkship/ (external link) (April or October only)
  • o KSC Clerkship: https://public.ksc.nasa.gov/kscmep/ (external link) (not available in May or December)
• Submit scholarly project to a relevant conference
  • Present research at the McGovern Medical School Senior Research Symposium

MS1-MS2

• Davis, J., Stepanek, J., Fogarty, J., & Blue, R. (Eds.). (2021). Fundamentals of aerospace medicine (5th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• NASA-STD-3001, Volume 1, Revision C. Spaceflight Human-System Standard Volume 1: Crew Health
• NASA-STD-3001, Volume 2, Revision D. Spaceflight Human-System Standard Volume 2: Human Factors, Habitability, and Environmental Health

MS3

• Wotring, V. E. (2012). Space pharmacology. Springer.
• Kanas, N., & Manzey, D. (2008). Space psychology and psychiatry (2nd ed.). Springer.

MS4

• Chamitoff, G. E., & Vadali, S. R. (Eds.). (2021). Human spaceflight operations: Lessons learned from 60 years in space (1st ed.). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
• Seedhouse, E. (2020). Life support systems for humans in space. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

• Barratt, Michael R., and Sam Lee Pool, eds. Principles of clinical medicine for space flight. Springer Science & Business Media, 2008.
• Wise, J. A., Hopkin, V. D., & Garland, D. J. (Eds.). (2009).Handbook of aviation human factors (2nd ed.). CRC Press.
• OCHMO-HB-004 (Anthropometry, Biomechanics, and Strength)
• NASA Human Integration Design Handbook
• NASA Human Integration Design Processes (HIDP)
• CCT-REQ-1130. ISS Crew Transportation and Services Requirements Documentation
• JSC-20793 Rev D. Crewed Space Vehicle Battery Safety Requirements
• Shayler, D. J. (2000).Disasters and accidents in manned spaceflight. Springer.
• Sgobba, T., Kanki, B. G., Clervoy, J.-F., & Sandal, G. (Eds.). (2017).Space safety and human performance (1st ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Handbook of Bioastronautics 1st ed. 2021 Edition by Laurence R. Young (Editor), Jeffrey . Sutton (Editor)

Program Leadership:

Kris Lehnhardt, MD
Nicolas Heft, MD
Eric Power, MD