Flight Surgeon, Chief Medical Officer, Canadian Space Agency. Supervises the overall health of the astronauts before, during and after spaceflight. Remote Physician.
Timeline
- Undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at Polytechnique Montreal (1992).
- Med school at Laval University (1997). Discovered space medicine by doing medical electives at NASA which included 1-month residency rotations at JSC and the Kennedy space centre.
- Acquired a private pilots licence following Med school / Residency (1999)
- Family medicine practice in remote communities (1999-current).
- International Space University Summer Session program in Chile (2000)
- Flight Surgeon, European Space Agency. Trained on the job supporting shuttle / long duration missions (2005-2010)
- Flight Surgeon, Canadian Space Agency (2010-current). Provided medical support to Chris Hadfield and David Saint-Jacques as prime CSA flight surgeon and supported ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet as deputy flight surgeon in the context of CSA-ESA collaboration
Advice
Recognize that circumstances change, but your passion will always be a guide to help find your way. The space sector is vast, and there are so many things you can pursue that apply to the industry.
If engineering is the application of science and understanding of systems to solve problems, medicine is like being an expert of the human system and using medical science to solve problems that affect human health.
Having that background in civil engineering before entering med school was nice to have, as both professions require understanding requirements and breaking down a problem.
I didn’t know when I went to med school I would end up in the space domain, and I didn’t know I would enjoy life in a remote community coming from a busy city.
However, the challenge of practising medicine in a place without a specialist or specialised equipment was challenging and enjoyable, and I found it is directly relevant to supporting astronauts who have minimal equipment during their space missions.
This amongst others is what eventually led me to a job in the space sector. My passion lies in challenging myself, whether that be telemedicine and remote care, development of procedures for operational support, or working in collaboration with colleagues from different agencies and backgrounds.
Each task is a chance to innovate a solution and learn through the process.
International Space University : 8 Week Interdisciplinary Program
The short course can help bridge the gap to the space industry and also help network with like-minded individuals. Funding is available from ESA and the CSA to attend ISU.
Link : https : / / www.isunet.edu / ssp /
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