Navigating the horizon: An assessment of aviation and space medicine education in UK medical schools, unveiling the disparity between interest and exposure

Aviation and Space Medicine (ASM) gained recognition as a specialty by the UK's General Medical Council in 2016 and is poised to grow in importance with growing demand in aviation and the expanding global space sector both in the UK and across the world. The predicted 41% growth of the commercial spaceflight industry within the next 5 years1 amplifies the need for ASM physicians capable of addressing unique health challenges associated with space travel. ASM extends beyond in-flight care, playing a crucial role in translating lessons learned in extreme environments to terrestrial healthcare. Recognising the influence of exposure and role models on student's specialty preferences2, a study was conducted to assess the current level of ASM education provided to UK medical students compared to their desired level and interest in the specialty. A 29-question survey, consisting of multiple-choice, Likert scale and free-text responses on these topics was distributed via Google Workspace's survey administration software to students from 37 UK medical schools, through contacting their medical societies and/or faculty administrators. To evaluate disparities in curriculum understanding at various points in the medical degree journey, analyses were subcategorised into pre-clinical (62.4%) and clinical/graduate doctor (36.7%) stages. The 170 respondents, representing 18 different UK medical schools, revealed a lack of awareness regarding ASM - only 16.4% of total respondents were aware that ASM is a GMC-approved training pathway, and 83.5% rated their knowledge of the UK ASM training pathway as 1 (no knowledge). However, 15.3% and 7.7% expressed strong consideration (rated 4 and 5, respectively) for pursuing a career in ASM. The majority (78.2%) reported zero hours of ASM teaching in their medical school curriculum, with 37.6% expressing a desire for 1–4 h and 33.5% for 5+ h, predominantly through lectures. Fig. 1 shows satisfaction rating with current level of exposure within medical school curricula, and Fig. 2 shows the number of hours of ASM teaching desired by UK medical students. Similarly, outside of the core curriculum, exposure to ASM was limited, with 65.3% receiving none. 20.6%, 10.1% and 2.5% had the options of ASM-related electives, student selected programmes or research available to them, respectively. Outside of medical school, the main exposure to ASM was through student societies (27.1%). We found that despite minimal exposure and educational opportunities, significant interest in ASM was evident among UK medical students. To address this gap, we recommend curriculum development – whilst recognising the already saturated core medical curriculum we propose introduction and expansion of optional modules to align with students' demonstrated interest. We recognise the possibility of response bias in this survey, which could impact the overall representativeness of the findings. Despite this, greater representation in the undergraduate curriculum is essential to generate heightened awareness of ASM and its UK training pathway. This not only ensures that the option of a career in this specialty is accessible to all UK medical students, but that interested individuals are adequately prepared to embark on careers in this new, exciting era of Aviation and Space Medicine.