Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

Abstract

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine (UHM) is a subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions associated with diving and pressurization, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of conditions using hyperbaric oxygenation. A recognized subspecialty of ABEM and APBM, physicians can obtain board certification in UHM after the successful completion of a one-year accredited fellowship and written certification examination. UHM physicians care for a variety of interesting patients, including recreational and commercial SCUBA divers, wound care patients, and traditional hyperbaric medicine patients. As there is so much variety within the subspecialty, there is no “typical” hyperbaric medicine practice. Some physicians may focus on undersea (diving) medicine, while others may practice wound care or clinical hyperbaric medicine. UHM physicians can be employed by hospitals, outpatient wound centers, or independent hyperbaric medicine facilities. There are limited research opportunities available within the subspecialty, and there are two main subspecialty journals that publish hyperbaric and diving related articles.