<p>I'm currently a high school senior who will be attending Vanderbilt next year, and I have recently been looking into possibly persuing a career as a flight surgeon (MD + rides in jets = COOL). But I have not been able to find much info on how I would go about this, does anybody know anything about the procedure involved... like do I apply with the airforce right after college? after med school? any help would be awsome!</p>
<p>My internist was a Flight Surgeon. When I asked him about being a Flight Surgeon he explained that it was a title and did not necessarily mean that a physician flys nor that they are a surgeon, much less perform surgery in flight. It's like the title Surgeon General. It is a title and does not necessarily mean that the person who holds the title is a surgeon. In fact, if you look up the backgrounds of the last few Surgeon Generals, none of them were surgeons much less generals.</p>
<p>Here's the definition of flight surgeon from wikipedia:</p>
<p>The flight surgeon is a specialised medical officer in the military, typically the air force. Flight surgeons are usually medical doctors. The flight surgeon is responsible for the treatment and certification of aviation personnel e.g. pilots, crew members and air traffic controllers.</p>
<p>This position requires additional specialised training. It was created as a distinction from standard medical professionals in the armed forces because of the special, and often higher, minimum standards of fitness and physical requirements required by the extremely high responsibility positions of aviators and ancillary personnel. For example, some routine treatments, such as certain antihistamines, when administered to aviation personnel, are cause for temporary grounding (loss of flying privileges) until the therapy and its effects are completed.</p>
<p>Due to the advanced training and education required to serve as a flight surgeon, many military services award a Flight Surgeon Badge to those so qualified.</p>
<p>Retrieved from "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_surgeon">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_surgeon</a>"</p>
<p>ya its like the precinct surgeon from the NYPD...its just kinda the doctor every1 goes to haha</p>