Recreational, scientific, public safety, NOAA, and commercial diver physicals are comprehensively conducted at UTMB by a fellowship-trained and board-certified Undersea Medicine physician who is also trained at the level of DMAC/EDTC (Diving Medical Advisory Committee and European Diving Technology Committee) Med Level 2D for medical management of diving accidents and illnesses.
Diver physicals are not the usual occupational or health physicals. It is a mistake and a disservice to the overall health and safety of a diver to think that the quick or routine physical exam that is normally conducted in the occupational medicine or primary medical setting is sufficient or adequate. A true diver physical involves: thorough review of the medical history and diving history, comprehensive examination from head to toe with concentration on the neurological system, extensive discussion of the physiological effects and risks of diving, description of the signs and symptoms of DCS, AGE, and other illnesses and injuries afflicting divers, and review of the interventional protocols to follow when sustaining a diving-related illness.