Diving is a special physiological challenge for human beings, and involves risks that are not simply ‘common sense’. For this reason, most prospective divers are unaware of some of the risks involved with a number of common medical complaints. Indeed, most medical practitioners may be unaware of a number of ‘unusual’ consequences of diving with a range of medical and physical conditions. As an example, diving is associated with a drop in blood sugar level in people with diabetes – beyond that experienced simply through physical activity.

SPUMS believes the best risk estimate for prospective divers can only be made after specific and maintained training in diving medicine.

SPUMS maintains a database available on this site that lists members of SPUMS with the appropriate training to do Recreational dive medicals, Occupational dive medicals and those prepared to do Paediatric dive medicals.

Other doctors may be equally qualified, but we do not know of a more comprehensive listing.

The requirements are that you are a fully registered medical practitioner, a current member of SPUMS and have successfully completed specific training to do recreational and/or commercial diving medicals through a course recognised as appropriate by SPUMS. A list of such courses can be found at SPUMS approved courses for doctors.

This document is available from this site at SPUMS Medical (Members only).

The Australian Standard is available for purchase from Standards Australia at: http://www.standards.org.au/Pages/default.aspx.

You need to be a fully registered medical practitioner. It is SPUMS position that you also need specific training in Diving Medicine (see Why do SPUMS recommend that I should have training in diving medicine before completing diving medicals?).

In Australia, there are two qualifications available. Any medical practitioner may attain the the SPUMS Diploma in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, while you must have a specialist qualification (including RACGP) to be eligible for the ANZ College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) diploma of advanced diving and hyperbaric medicine (ANZCA Dip Adv DHM).

You must be a registered medical practitioner who has completed six months of FTE work in a SPUMS-accredited hyperbaric facility, have attended an accredited formal training course in the field and completed a research project. You must be a member of SPUMS for a minimum of two years at the time of your application for the Diploma.

The latest issues, embargoed for one year, are available on the DHM website for the personal use of society members only. Access is via your SPUMS or EUBS website login and password.

Please respect that these are restricted access and to distribute their contents within one year of publication is a breach of copyright. Some authors request immediate release of their work, for which they pay a fee.

Older issues; articles for immediate release into the public domain; contents lists and the Abstracts of the most recent (embargoed) issues; information about submitting to the Journal; profiles of the Editorial Board and useful links are to be found on the site.

Your membership ensures the continued publication of DHM – thank you for your support of SPUMS.

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There are two answers to this question:

1. The peak physician bodies in this area – the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) and the Special Interest Group of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists hold the opinion that doctors should not perform dive medicals without appropriate training. SPUMS holds a current list of acceptable courses and maintains a list of members who have successfully passed one of those courses (‘The Diving Doctors List’).
2. The Australian Medical Association in the past has not agreed with this position and maintains training is not required.

In any case, there is no legislative requirement in this area.

SPUMS is the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society and it is based in Australasia.  Regional diving and hyperbaric medicine societies exist in other areas of the world. These include the European Underwater and Baromedical Society (EUBS), the Asian Hyperbaric and Diving Medical Association (AHDMA) and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), which is based in the United States.