The Diving Medical Advisory Committee
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Courses in Diving Medicine

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DMAC has established an approval system for courses in diving medicine.

Background

Legal regulations and industrial standards concerning training of doctors involved in examination and treatment of working divers and the medical consultants to diving contractors vary throughout the world. Many professional divers work in different nations as a part of their employment and, even though the guidance on medical standards for fitness to dive is reasonably well established internationally, the training of doctors to conduct those examinations and to provide competent support for diving emergencies is patchy. Accreditation or approval of courses in diving medicine would probably best be achieved if multi-national agencies (such as bodies within WHO, ILO or EU) or well-reputed academic institutions with international connections would accept such a responsibility. However, in spite of agreement for many years on the need for approval, little or nothing has happened.

In 2004 the European Diving Technology Committee (EDTC) produced its guidance on the "Medical Assessment of Working Divers", available from IMCA (the International Marine Contractors Association).

Previously, a joint committee of the European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine (ECHM) and EDTC developed "Training Standards for Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine". At present, this remains the best recognised international standard for such training. However, no organisation has accepted responsibility for administering an approval procedure for these basic courses. Until another recognised body takes on this responsibility, DMAC has accepted the obligation to assess selected courses in diving medicine together with a representative of the EDTC Medical Subcommittee; this alliance is to be referred to as 'DMAC/EDTCmed'.

Two levelsof approval are available:

  • Level I - Medical assessment of divers (Medical Examiner of Divers)
  • Level IIa - Medical management of diving accidents and illnesses (Competence in Diving Medicine)

It is emphasised that DMAC/EDTCmed will approve only the courses and not the competence of those who have attended them.

Applying for Approval

Those interested in gaining DMAC recognition for their course should download the recognition document (see below). This sets out all of the requirements and procedures. A Word version for electronic completion is available to course administrators on request. Any further questions should be addressed to the Secretary.

Approved Courses

The following courses are currently approved by DMAC/EDTCmed:

Course Organiser Contact Details Level Approval Expiry
DDRC Professional Services Ltd
United Kingdom
The Hyperbaric Medical Centre
Research Way
Tamar Science Park
Derriford
Plymouth
PL6 8BU
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1752 209 999
Fax: +44 (0) 1752 209 115
E-mail: Pete.Atkey@ddrc.org
I and IIa 14 June 2014
Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Educators LLC
United States of America
Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Educators LLC
7924 Maple Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
United States of America
Tel: +1 704 796 6628
Fax: +1 504 836 8020
E-mail: jjwassel@novanthealth.org
Level I  1 June 2013
Gesellschaft für Tauch- und Überdruckmedizin eV (GTÜM eV)
Germany
Seeböckgasse 17
A-1160Wien
Austria
Tel: +43 699 18 44 23 90
Fax: +43 19 44 23 90
E-mail: W.Welslau@gtuem.org
I and IIa 22 July 2014
Institute of Naval Medicine
United Kingdom
Crescent Road
Alverstoke
Hampshire
PO12 2DL
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 23 9276 8091
Fax: +44 (0) 23 9252 7046
E-mail: ahernl@inm.mod.uk
Level I 1 Feb 2014
Norwegian Armed Forces
Norway
Joint Medical Submarine and Diving Medicine Office
Boks 5
Haakonsvern K-21
N-5886 Bergen
Norway
Tel: +47 55 50 21 60
Fax: +47 55 50 37 92
E-mail: jrisberg@mil.no
Level I 1 Sep 2015
Republic of Singapore Navy Medical Service/Singapore General Hospital Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine Centre
Singapore
Singapore General Hospital Postgraduate Medical Institute
Block 6, Level 1
Outram Road
Singapore 169608
E-mail:
pgmi.courses@sgh.com.sg
Level I 1 Aug 2013
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
Italy
Piazza dei Martiri delle Libertà N° 33
56127 Pisa
Italy
Tel: +39 050 883111
Fax: +39 050 883225
Web: www.sssup.it
I and IIa 31 Dec 2014
Stellenbosch University
South Africa
The Baromedicine and Occupational Medicine Facility
Division of Community Health
Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Stellenbosch University
PO Box 19063
7505 Tygerberg
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 938 9272
Fax: +27 21 938 9166
E-mail: wajm@sun.ac.za
Web: www.divingmedicine.co.za
I and IIa 1 Sep 2012
Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society
United States of America
21W Colony Place, Suite 280
Durham, NC 27705
United States of America
Tel: +1 919 490 6161
Fax: +1 919 490 5149
E-mail: peterbennett@uhms.org
I and IIa(d) 9 Jul 2015

Page updated 29 January 2013