QUESTION:
I am interested in pursuing a career in space medicine. 
I wanted to confirm whether my vision of my future career is correct. I picture 
myself being in charge of astronauts health and well being in space, studying 
the human bodys adaptation to life away from planet Earth and conducting 
medical research that will solve the problems limiting human habitation of 
space. Is this what is meant by space medicine? Another question I had was 
whether there was any scope for this career. Will a rejuvenated 
commercialized space program generate hundreds of jobs or will a 
cash-strapped NASA not only stop recruiting doctors but also start laying them 
off? Finally what sort of education, in addition to getting an MD, should I 
get in order to do space medicine. I would be greatly obliged if you could 
tell me what course/s one must take.

ANSWER from Duncan Atchison on October 16, 1997:
Thanks for your questions regarding careers in space medicine.  I think
the most informative place for you to look, is to others who have had
very similar interests to you.  See our Space Life Sciences Training
Program pages at:

http://www.famu.edu/copps/slstp/

These are students in college, many of whom plan to do exactly as you,
become doctors, and help out in the space program, see below for a
sampling of where they actually end up in a few years.  As you will see,
some end up in the space program, some have jobs elsewhere, but retain
their fascination with space.

I think there will always be a need for strong candidates in Space
Medicine, so study hard, and keep your dreams alive.

Some sample students from SLSTP

Cheryl Miles Stevenson ('85) recently earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics at
the University of Michigan. She welcomed her first child in December
1995.
                             
Cynthia Ann Palmeri ('88) is a captain and physician in the U.S. Air
Force. Palmeri graduated from the University of Texas (San Antonio)
Health Sciences Center in 1993 and completed her second residency in
obstetrics/gynecology.

Meredith Anne Jirka Burke ('86) is a product specialist for SPSS,
Incorporated, a position she excepted after having held a special term
appointment in chronobiological research at Argonne National Laboratory.
                                               
Margaret A. Juergensmeyer ('90) is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biology at Kansas
State University with an expected graduation date of 1997. She
participated in an experiment flown on STS-63 and has another planned
for STS-67.

Lai Quen Helen Fong ('88) is a pharmacist for Walgreens in Orlando, Fl.
She is married and the mother of two children.

Annicia Thomas Holliday ('91) was married in May 1995 and earned her
M.Ed. that same year from the University of Georgia. Currently, she is a
mathematics teacher in the Crisp County Georgia School System.

Irene Capellan ('94) was married in February 1995 and has relacoated to
Los Angeles, CA. She plans to attend medical school and seek a research
position in the L.A. area
                                               
Carol D. Smith ('92) is a systems analyst for America Online.