Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine
Program Type: Military Medical Center
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Accredited: Yes, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
Program Length: 1 year
Required Pre-Requisite Training: Completion of primary residency program
Categorical Year in Specialty Required: No
Total Approved Complement: 2
Approved per Year (if applicable): 2
Dedicated research year offered: No
Medical Student Rotation availability: 3rd and 4th year
Additional degree concurrent with training (e.g. MPH): No
Program Phone Number: 210-539-8000
Program Email: dha.jbsa.brooke-amc.list.saushec-uhm@health.mil
Program Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Program Description
The SAUSHEC Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine fellowship is a one-year ACGME-accredited program designed to produce exceptionally strong clinical, as well as operationally oriented, Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine physicians. The SAUSHEC program is the only UHM fellowship in the Department of Defense and is approved for two fellows annually. Fellows will gain experience from both inpatients and outpatients with all 15 Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Society-approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy indications, as well as multiple off-label indications. All hyperbaric patients will be seen at the only two clinical Hyperbaric Medicine facilities in the DOD, Brooke Army Medical Center and David Grant Medical Center. Fellows will gain valuable experience treating patients in both monoplace and multiplace hyperbaric chambers at both facilities. Fellows will become experts in the evaluation of potential hyperbaric patients and will formulate individualized treatment plans for them. In addition, the program offers a unique experience evaluating and treating altitude-related disorders. Fellows will take world-wide call for DOD beneficiaries suffering from decompression sickness and air/gas embolism to provide expert consultation. The fellowship training includes experience with advanced wound care products/techniques and the interpretation of transcutaneous oxygen measurements. Fellows will also become subject matter experts in Undersea Occupational Medicine and gain experience in evaluating civilian and military divers for initial and return to duty medical clearances. The fellows will interact with and provide UHM education to medical students, residents, and other fellows during their fellowship year. Finally, the training includes instruction on inspecting, maintaining, and operating both single-patient and multiple-patient hyperbaric chambers.
Mission, Vision and Aims
Mission
To provide leadership, consultation and training in Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine (UHM) – spearheading research, education, and medical practice in operational and clinical arenas during conflict or peace.
Vision
To maintain a premier training platform that provides robust exposure to emergency, routine clinical, and military operational dive and hyperbaric medicine, producing high caliber board-certified hyperbaric medicine physicians.
Aims
Knowledge
Provide a comprehensive one-year fellowship curriculum producing well-rounded UHM physicians capable of providing care in operational and clinical environments. This aim will be achieved through a didactic curriculum of reading, presentations, and journal club articles. The curriculum will include specific materials to enhance operational capabilities.
Innovation
Continue investigating emerging treatment modalities to better serve our active duty and veteran population. Find and evaluate medical equipment for use in the hyperbaric environment to safely and effectively deliver routine and critical care hyperbaric treatments. Evaluate equipment to expand critical care capabilities in the hyperbaric chamber so that graduates are experts in outpatient as well as critical care hyperbaric oxygen delivery.
Leadership
Develop strong physician leadership both in the military and civilian arenas and develop the next generation of UHM leaders through formal didactics, mentorship and faculty development.
Curriculum and Schedules
Fellows of the SAUSHEC UHM Fellowship Program will receive weekly didactic conferences every Tuesday. There is a monthly joint didactic conference with the Duke University UHM program, a monthly joint grand rounds conference with the Duke University UHM program , a monthly journal club discussion/review, and the remaining Tuesdays will be filled with Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine-specific didactic conferences from UHM physicians around the U.S. Air Force.
Nearly all rotations are completed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX (11.5 months). Two weeks of the fellowship year will be spent at the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California.
During this time, the fellow will accomplish the following off-site or Video Teleconference (VTC) courses:
- International ATMO, Inc:
- Hyperbaric Medicine Team Training Course
- Wound Care Course
- Hyperbaric Safety Director Course
- UHMS Physicians Training in Diving Medicine Course
- Military Unique Curriculum (MUC) Specific Courses:
- U.S. Navy Recognition and Treatment of Diving Casualties Course (required for U.S. Air Force Fellows)
- Joint Hyperbaric Medical Officer Course (required for U.S. Army Fellows)
The fellow will also be allotted up to two months of elective rotation time during these months, given in 2- to 4-week blocks, in medical and/or surgical fields related to Hyperbaric Medicine. All remaining time in this block will be spent in the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic.
SAUSHEC UHM Fellows are allotted up to two months of elective rotation time, given in 2- to 4-week blocks, in medical and/or surgical fields related to Hyperbaric Medicine. Some of these relevant fields include:
- Vascular Surgery
- Foot & Ankle
- Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU)
- Pulmonary/Critical Care
If fellows elect not to utilize any portion of their two months of elective rotations, this time will be replaced with an additional BAMC Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic rotation.
Fellows will not be placed on call during off-site course time, during off-service elective rotations, and during their 2-week rotation to David Grant Medical Center at Travis AFB, California.
U.S. Air Force fellows will be required to complete the 2-week U.S. Navy Recognition and Treatment of Diving Casualties Course, while U.S. Army fellows will be required to complete the 2-week Joint Hyperbaric Medical Officer Course. These courses provide the respective services with a more in-depth look at how military operational diving (and dive medicine) is performed within their services.
The following courses require completion for graduation from the SAUSHEC UHM Fellowship Program:
- International ATMO, Inc.:
- Hyperbaric Medicine Team Training Course
- Wound Care Course
- Hyperbaric Safety Director Course
- Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) Physicians Training in Diving Medicine Course
- U.S. Navy Recognition and Treatment of Diving Casualties Course (required for U.S. Air Force Fellows)
- Joint Hyperbaric Medical Officer Course (required for U.S. Army Fellows)
The SAUSHEC UHM Fellowship Program does not currently utilize simulation, other than Basic Life Support/Advanced Life Support simulation for the purposes of maintaining professional credential currency.
The SAUSHEC UHM Fellowship Program utilizes a scaled leadership experience throughout the 12-month course of the fellowship. The year begins with observational experience of faculty members’ leadership of the clinic/treatment teams and will progressively grow throughout the year until the fellow is ultimately responsible for leading these teams on a daily basis.
Scholarly and Professional Development Opportunities
Fellows will be required to complete a Scholarly Project during their fellowship year to graduate from our program. Funding is available for fellows to attend at least one professional conference when presenting a scholarly activity. This is typically accomplished at the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Society (UHMS) Annual Scientific Meeting in June of the fellowship year.
Fellows participate in helping to improve the healthcare delivery/process for our patients. Fellows will be educated in quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) principles through the completion of a SAUSHEC QIPS core curriculum project, which is required for fellowship graduation.
While developing superb Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine physicians is the primary focus of our fellowship program, the SAUSHEC UHM Fellowship Program also focuses on developing future military leaders through mentoring and modeling. Funding is available for fellows to attend at least one professional conference during their fellowship year when presenting a scholarly activity. This is typically accomplished at the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Society (UHMS) Annual Scientific Meeting in June of the fellowship year.
Participating Sites
Expand for a list of rotation sites
- Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas (11.5 months)
- David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, California (0.5 months)
Applicant Information, Rotation and Interview Opportunities
Our fellowship program offers rotations to 3rd and 4th year medical students and current residents in any specialty. Rotations can be tailored to fit the individual’s specific school/residency requirements, usually 2 - 4 weeks in length. Students interested in rotating with our program should contact and follow guidance through SAUSHEC Graduate Medical Education regarding rotation logistics. To schedule a rotation please e-mail: usarmy.jbsa.medcom-bamc.mbx.saushec-clerkship@health.mil.
If you would like to schedule an interview with our program, please contact: dha.jbsa.brooke-amc.list.saushec-uhm@health.mil.
Specialty Board Examination Information
Program graduates take the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine Board Exam. This exam is offered every two years, only on the even numbered years. To become fully board certified, applicants are eligible to take board certification exam following fellowship graduation. To be eligible to take specialty board exams, graduates must complete all pre-requisites required by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and/or the American Board of Emergency Medicine (if primary specialty is Emergency Medicine).
Teaching Opportunities
Resident/Fellow as Teacher Opportunities
Fellows are expected to assume increasing levels of responsibility as teachers to rotating, off-service residents and 3rd/4th year medical students in the UHM clinic throughout their time.
Additional Teaching Opportunities
Our program is supportive of our fellows establishing a relationship with their primary specialty’s residency training program here at SAUSHEC, where they can choose to engage in teaching opportunities within their primary specialty.
Faculty and Mentorship
All three of our faculty members are board-certified Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine physicians.
Being such a small program with only three full-time faculty physicians, we treat our fellows as peers and take ownership and accountability of our roles as medical, career, and life mentors to our fellows.
Well-Being
We work closely with our fellows to ensure a satisfying work and home life during their fellowship tenure. Our program makes every effort possible to deconflict/mitigate overwhelming work and home life situations within reason.
Contact Us
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship Program
Location: Brooke Army Medical Center
Monday–Friday
7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Phone: 210-539-8000
Fax: 210-539-2122
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