LEWISBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A 2020 graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine is currently receiving training to provide care to passengers aboard air and space vehicles.
Ethan Stephens, D.O., graduated from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in 2020 and completed a family medicine residency three years later. He has now begun an aerospace medicine residency to be completed in 2026 at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
With an emphasis on clinical care, research and operational support of the health and safety to provide care to space vehicle passengers. Stephens says that the residency appealed to his interested in engineering and space.
“I knew I wanted to get training in family medicine, but I also had an interest in engineering and spaceflight,” he says. “I found out about aerospace medicine late in medical school and was able to observe some online lectures about the specialty. I have been hooked ever since.”
The current residency program in which Stephens is participating includes a master’s degree in aerospace medicine. This will allow him to gain a greater understanding of public health, preventative medicine, and particular challenges which could arise during the management of space vehicle passengers in the aerospace medicine field.
“You may participate in a private telemedicine conference with someone on the ISS [International Space Station], meet with engineers to consult on the health requirements of a vehicle, discuss aeromedical requirements of pilots with the Federal Aviation Administration, or provide medical care to patients who have just arrived on earth from their mission in space,” Stephens says. “These are examples of the unique things aerospace medicine physicians do.”
Stephens also notes the wide variety of specialty and subspecialty career options available to medical students of which many may not be aware.
“You do not generally hear about the medical professionals taking care of pilots and astronauts, which is a good thing because the crew are the focus,” said Stephens. “I think more information is being presented to medical students and residents about this career due to a higher emphasis on space travel in recent years. It is a growing career option that I believe will continue to expand.”
