Psychiatric education in aerospace medicine

In order to facilitate curriculum design for psychiatric education in aerospace medicine, three groups of physicians were surveyed: experienced flight surgeons, student flight surgeons, and psychiatrists trained in aerospace medicine. Two measures were obtained: 1) an assessment of the usefulness of particular psychiatric skills and knowledge in the practice of aerospace medicine, and 2) a rating of the clinician's abilities in these areas. Results support the primary importance of interviewing and diagnostic skills. Student flight surgeons show deficiencies in the areas of administrative knowledge and in knowledge of the impact of the flyer's environment upon his mental status. These findings link psychiatry in aerospace medicine with the emphasis on understanding the man/environment interface and on the flight surgeon's organizational function of boundary control through decisions on fitness to fly.