Navy Officer Subspecialty · Aviation
15A1 Aerospace Medicine & Flight Surgery
An officer subspecialty earned alongside a primary designator, marking advanced education or experience in this field.
Overview
Aerospace medicine and flight surgery officers provide primary, urgent, administrative, and occupational care to aviation unit members. They address aviation related physiological hazards and care for patients and crews in flight, including during airborne casualty evacuation.
Core Skills
- flight surgeon clinical care
- aerospace physiology
- aircrew fitness evaluation
- aviation mishap response
- hypoxia and pressure injury management
- spatial disorientation assessment
- toxic exposure management
- aeromedical evacuation
- aviation unit health advising
Civilian Software & Tools
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- R
Civilian Career Paths
- Physician
- Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
- Commercial Aviation
Training & Development
Getting Started
- United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
- Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA)
- State Medical License (MD/DO)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
- Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
Career Growth
- Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Medical Examiner Authorization
- Board Certification in Aerospace Medicine
- Board Certification in Occupational Medicine (ABPM)
- Certified Medical Review Officer (MRO)
What the Work Involves
- Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs and priority of treatment.
- Perform emergency resuscitations on patients.
- Perform such medical procedures as emergent cricothyrotomy, endotracheal intubation, and emergency thoracotomy.
- Select, request, perform, or interpret diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, emergency ultrasounds, and radiographs.
- Stabilize patients in critical condition.
Related Occupations
- Family Medicine Physicians
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- Paramedics
- Pediatric Surgeons
Typical preparation for these civilian roles: graduate-level education or extensive experience.
Equivalent Roles in Other Branches
Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.
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