Aerospace Medicine Content Outline

Test Specifications

Domain	Percent of Exam
The Human within the Flight Environment	20%
Clinical Aerospace Medicine	33%
Operational Aerospace Medicine	15%
Risk Assessment and Management	17%
Leadership, Management, and Administration	15%

Domains, Tasks, Knowledge

K1 The Human within the Flight Environment

• K1.A The Biosphere
• K1.B Fundamental theory of flight, including aerodynamics, orbital mechanics, navigation (e.g., FAA ground school basics), and weather, applicable to:
  • K1.B.1 Aviation: fixed wing and rotary wing, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)
  • K1.B.2 Spaceflight
• K1.C Impacts on normal human physiology resulting from exposure to the aerospace environment, focusing on the following:
  • K1.C.1 Behavioral health
  • K1.C.2 Cardiovascular
  • K1.C.3 Endocrine system
  • K1.C.4 Gastrointestinal
  • K1.C.5 Hematologic
  • K1.C.6 Immune system (e.g., radiological and gravitational impacts)
  • K1.C.7 Microbiology (e.g., allergies, food spoilage, materials degradation, environmental contamination)
  • K1.C.8 Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic
  • K1.C.9 Neurological (e.g., brain volume, spatial orientation, circadian rhythm patterns)
  • K1.C.10 Ophthalmologic (e.g., SANS/space flight associated neuro-optical syndrome)
  • K1.C.11 Otolaryngologic (e.g., vestibular, barotrauma)
  • K1.C.12 Renal and Urologic
  • K1.C.13 Reproductive
  • K1.C.14 Respiratory
  • K1.C.15 Rheumatologic (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis affecting C-Spine)
• K1.D Gravitational effects on human physiology related to:
  • K1.D.1 Transient acceleration and sustained acceleration
  • K1.D.2 Microgravity effects
  • K1.D.3 Partial gravity environments
  • K1.D.4 Mishaps (e.g., instantaneous/rapid G onset)
• K1.E Pressure effects on human physiology related to:
  • K1.E.1 Hypobaric exposures
  • K1.E.2 Hyperbaric exposures
• K1.F Other physical effects on human physiology related to:
  • K1.F.1 Shock and vibration
  • K1.F.2 Thermal variations
  • K1.F.3 Radiation
  • K1.F.4 Toxicology
  • K1.F.5 Impact of extended missions
• K1.G Engineering and technology (e.g., materials engineering, landing loads) that reduces injury, increases survivability, and improves performance
• K1.H Basic principles and design of aerospace systems – military, commercial, civilian
  • K1.H.1 Vehicles (piloted) and systems – impacts on human health and performance, including:
    • K1.H.1.i Atmospheric composition and habitat
    • K1.H.1.ii Ergonomics and anthropometrics
    • K1.H.1.iii Medical systems
    • K1.H.1.iv Nutrition, food, and potable water management systems
    • K1.H.1.v Propulsion systems
    • K1.H.1.vi Sleep systems
    • K1.H.1.vii Survival systems (e.g., life-support equipment, escape mechanisms, and PPE for crew)
    • K1.H.1.viii Waste management systems
  • K1.H.2 Vehicles (remotely piloted): impacts on human health and performance of personnel
    • K1.H.2.i Advanced air mobility (small autonomous vehicles)
    • K1.H.2.ii Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
  • K1.H.3 Ground support systems: impacts on health and performance of personnel
• K1.I Research and design protocols and methods
• K1.J Basic concepts of machine learning and artificial intelligence as they pertain to aerospace human performance and health prediction models

K2 Clinical Aerospace Medicine

• K2.A Fitness for duty and return to work, including clinical conditions impacting pilots, astronauts, crew, ground staff, other personnel, and passengers/participants that affect performance, related to the following areas:
  • K2.A.1 Addiction and substance abuse
  • K2.A.2 Cardiovascular
  • K2.A.3 Dermatological
  • K2.A.4 Endocrine diseases and disorders
  • K2.A.5 Gastrointestinal
  • K2.A.6 Infectious diseases
  • K2.A.7 Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic
  • K2.A.8 Neurological (including sleep disorders)
  • K2.A.9 Ophthalmological
  • K2.A.10 Otolaryngological
  • K2.A.11 Psychological/Neuropsychological
  • K2.A.12 Pulmonary/Respiratory
  • K2.A.13 Reproductive health
  • K2.A.14 Medical conditions related to human aging
  • K2.A.15 Other medical and/or surgical conditions affecting safety of flight
• K2.B Impact and management of acute and chronic disease and/or comorbidities
• K2.C Waivers and clearances
• K2.D Human health
  • K2.D.1 Wellness and health maintenance including nutrition, hydration, sleep, and exercise
  • K2.D.2 Physiological conditions affecting performance
  • K2.D.3 Psychological stress and mental health considerations affecting performance
  • K2.D.4 Special considerations (e.g., pilots of remotely piloted vehicles, older pilots, non-astronaut space vehicle pilots, preparation for specialized missions)
  • K2.D.5 Circadian rhythm disturbance and sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea, seasonal sleep disturbance, and chronic overwork-based sleep deprivation)
• K2.E Evaluation and management of medical conditions in austere, resource-constrained environments (e.g., remote locations)
• K2.F Communicable and infectious disease prevention and response planning, including pandemic planning
• K2.G Epidemiology and research methods
• K2.H Considerations for medical disposition of patients pre-flight, inflight, and post-flight
• K2.I Emerging technologies used in the aerospace domain
  • K2.I.1 Inflight health and performance monitoring (e.g., ultrasound, AI interface)
  • K2.I.2 Role of cybernetics (e.g., implanted monitoring devices, robotics) and other performance-enhancing and sustaining interventions and adjuncts (e.g., sensory augmentation)
  • K2.I.3 Aspects of precision medicine related to the aerospace domain (e.g., crew genetic screening and selection, personalized medicine)

K3 Operational Aerospace Medicine

• K3.A Air and space operations in which Aerospace Medicine is practiced, including:
  • K3.A.1 Military
  • K3.A.2 Civil aviation
  • K3.A.3 Space: government
  • K3.A.4 Space: commercial
  • K3.A.5 Aeromedical transportation
• K3.B Selection and retention principles, standards, criteria, and methods, including:
  • K3.B.1 Medical standards, performance principles, and specific medical diagnoses/conditions of import
  • K3.B.2 Aeromedical evaluations
  • K3.B.3 Functional aerospace assessments (i.e., determining if individual can safely and effectively perform the job)
  • K3.B.4 Neuropsychological assessment principles
  • K3.B.5 Medications and supplements with safety implications
  • K3.B.6 Longitudinal surveillance (to measure physiological or clinical changes across time)
  • K3.B.7 Special standards for unique/novel operations (e.g., undersea, stratospheric parachute, desert, altitude)
• K3.C Resource and/or organizational management principles, planning, and utilization (e.g., money, logistics, external factors, coordination)
• K3.D Crew Resource Management (CRM) and single-pilot resource management principles and practices
• K3.E Range of human performance tolerances, including assessment, maintenance, and enhancement
• K3.F Considerations related to long-haul airline flights, including:
  • K3.F.1 Systems (e.g., sleep, food and nutrition, PPE, exercise, medication delivery)
  • K3.F.2 Unique populations (e.g., elderly, medically impaired, pregnant)
  • K3.F.3 Complicating physiology/disease and health/performance issues
• K3.G Considerations related to space missions, including:
  • K3.G.1 Systems (e.g., sleep, food and nutrition, PPE, exercise, medical delivery)
  • K3.G.2 Complicating physiology/disease and health/performance issues
  • K3.G.3 Management and prevention of acute, chronic, and recurrent disease
• K3.H Safety standards related to the practice of aerospace medicine in operational environments
• K3.I Functions and attributes of personal protective equipment in the aerospace context (e.g., thermal, altitude and radiation protection, gear for acceleration)
• K3.J Survival, search and rescue
  • K3.J.1 Vehicle crash worthiness
  • K3.J.2 Survival systems (e.g., escape mechanisms, survival gear)
  • K3.J.3 Search and rescue systems and organization, including field recovery
  • K3.J.4 Airport disaster management planning and execution
  • K3.J.5 Principles of and best practices for survival, search and rescue
• K3.K Mishap response and investigation
  • K3.K.1 Site activities coordination, including ICS, medical response, triage, extraction, evidence preservation
  • K3.K.2 Forensic considerations
  • K3.K.3 Accident response protocols/data collection
  • K3.K.4 Safety considerations for responders (e.g., chemicals and fumes, biohazards)
  • K3.K.5 Human body crash tolerances and biodynamics (crash forces)
  • K3.K.6 Human Factors Analysis and Classification Systems (HFACS)
  • K3.K.7 Jurisdictional considerations
• K3.L Aerospace travel medicine (e.g., medical considerations for space tourism, disease transmission on commercial flights)
• K3.M Jurisdictional issues related to international travel as delineated by ICAO
• K3.N Benefits and limitations of simulations, analogs, and models as training environment in preparation for the operational environment

K4 Risk Assessment and Management

• K4.A Risk assessment, mitigation, and profiling
  • K4.A.1 Principles and theories of risk management
  • K4.A.2 Principles and theories of complex systems
  • K4.A.3 Principles and theories of human error
  • K4.A.4 Human factors and taxonomies (HFACS)
  • K4.A.5 Systems-based risk management
  • K4.A.6 Risk-benefit analysis techniques
• K4.B Risks related to equipment and systems
  • K4.B.1 Equipment and payload safety standards
  • K4.B.2 Human-machine interface/ergonomics
  • K4.B.3 Trust and reliance on automation
  • K4.B.4 Aircraft design principles, materials, and systems
  • K4.B.5 Spacecraft design principles, materials, and systems
  • K4.B.6 Training systems and simulators (e.g., Chambers, centrifuge exposures, virtual reality, buoyancy labs)
• K4.C Risk management
  • K4.C.1 Tools and processes for systems affecting safety and human error
  • K4.C.2 Human reliability analysis (e.g., human probabilistic analysis [HPA], probabilistic risk analysis [PRA])
  • K4.C.3 Root cause analysis
  • K4.C.4 Rule-based medical standards
  • K4.C.5 Performance-based medical standards (functional)
  • K4.C.6 Aeromedical evaluation procedures, protocols, and best practices
  • K4.C.7 Enroute medical care (aviation and space) procedures, protocols, and best practices
  • K4.C.8 Special populations (aging, pregnancy, chronic illness or condition, space passengers)
  • K4.C.9 Longituinal surveillance methods and approaches to analysis
• K4.D Risk management of human systems
  • K4.D.1 Cultural and social factors impacting safety (national, organizational, professional)
  • K4.D.2 Impacts of acute and chronic medical conditions on safety
  • K4.D.3 Fatigue management approaches and best practices

K5 Leadership, Management, and Administration

• K5.A Flight rules and regulations (e.g., FAR/AIM, CNAF 3710) applicable to specific jurisdictions:
  • K5.A.1 Military
  • K5.A.2 Civil
  • K5.A.3 International
• K5.B Resource materials (e.g., FAA Guide for AMEs, Air Force Waiver Guide)
• K5.C Safety management systems (e.g., ICAO Annex 19, 14, CFR §5)
• K5.D Guidelines, standards, and/or regulations applicable to aerospace medicine promulgated by the following organizations:
  • K5.D.1 ICAO
  • K5.D.2 WHO
  • K5.D.3 CDC
  • K5.D.4 DOT/FAA
  • K5.D.5 NASA
  • K5.D.6 NTSB
  • K5.D.7 OSHA
• K5.E Medical and health standards applicable to commercial space passengers/space flight participants
• K5.F Communication styles and techniques
• K5.G Leadership theories and approaches
• K5.H Change management principles and theories
• K5.I Project management terminology and methodologies
• K5.J In-country health agencies and international laws related to aero-medical liability