Diploma of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine

Requirements for SPUMS Diploma in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine

In order for the Diploma of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine to be awarded by the Society, the candidate must comply with the following conditions:

1.   The candidate must be medically qualified, and be a current financial member of the Society.

2.   The candidate must supply evidence of satisfactory completion of an examined two-week full-time course in Diving and Hyperbaric medicine at an approved facility. Currently accredited courses are: the Royal Adelaide Hospital course, the Royal Australian Navy Medical Officer Underwater Medicine Course and the ANZHMG course hosted by Prince of Wales Hospital.

3.   The candidate must have completed the equivalent (as determined by the Education Officer) of at least six months’ full-time clinical training in an approved Hyperbaric Medicine Unit.

4.   The candidate must submit a written proposal for research in a relevant area of underwater or hyperbaric medicine, in a standard format, for approval before commencing their research project.

5.   The candidate must produce, to the satisfaction of the Academic Board, a written report on the approved research project, in the form of a scientific paper suitable for publication. Accompanying this written report should be a request to be considered for the SPUMS Diploma and supporting documentation for 1–4 above. 

6.   In the absence of documentation otherwise, it will be assumed that the paper is submitted for publication in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. As such, the structure of the paper needs to broadly comply with the instructions to authors – full version, published in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, 2010;40(2):110-2.

7.   The paper may be submitted to journals other than Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine; however, even if published in another journal, the completed paper must be submitted to the Education Officer for assessment as a diploma paper. If the paper has been accepted for publication or published in another journal, then evidence of this should be provided. 

8.   The diploma paper will be assessed, and changes may be requested, before it is regarded to be of the standard required for award of the Diploma. Once completed to the reviewers’ satisfaction, papers not already accepted or published in other journals will be forwarded to the Editor of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine for consideration. At this point the Diploma will be awarded, provided all other requirements are satisfied. Diploma projects submitted to Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine for consideration of publication will be subject to the Journal’s own peer review process.

Additional information – prospective approval of projects is required: 

The candidate must contact the Education Officer in writing (e-mail is acceptable) to advise of their intended candidacy, and to discuss the proposed subject matter of their research. A written research proposal must be submitted before commencing the research project. All research reports must clearly test a hypothesis. Original basic or clinical research is acceptable. Case series reports may be acceptable if thoroughly documented, subject to quantitative analysis, and the subject is extensively researched and discussed in detail. Reports of a single case are insufficient. Review articles may be acceptable if the world literature is thoroughly analysed and discussed, and the subject has not recently been similarly reviewed. Previously published material will not be considered.  

It is expected that all research will be conducted in accordance with the joint NHMRC/AVCC statement and guidelines on research practice (available at: www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/r39.pdf) or the equivalent requirement of the country in which the research is conducted. All research involving humans or animals must be accompanied by documented evidence of approval by an appropriate research ethics committee. It is expected that the  research project and the written report will be primarily the work of the candidate, and that the candidate is the first author, where there are more than one.  

The SPUMS Diploma will not be awarded until all requirements are completed. The individual components do not necessarily need to be completed in the order outlined above. However, it is mandatory that the research project is approved prior to commencing research. The Academic Board reserves the right to modify any of these requirements from time to time.  

The Academic Board reserves the right to modify any of these requirements from time to time. As of October 2012, the SPUMS Academic Board consists of:

• Associate Professor David Smart, Education Officer;
• Associate Professor Simon Mitchell;
• Associate Professor (retired) Mike Davis.

All enquiries and applications to the Education Officer:

Associate Professor David Smart

GPO Box 463, Hobart, Tasmania 7001

E-mail: education@spums.org.au

DOWNLOAD (PDF): Requirements for Dip DHM (07/2012)