Marine Medicine is a medicinal branch that includes hyperbaric medicine, maritime medicine, diving medicine and submarine medicine is a specialized field of importance to Navy. This specialization of medicine lays attentions on the ways and means of optimizing the health and job performance of maritime and underwater fighters. The common aim of this field of medicine is to improve the effectiveness of the mission by bringing down attrition due to adverse conditions like physiological, physical, psychological conditions to the fighters that might cause unfitness. Diploma in Marine Medicine is a two-year course that is offered only by a single institution in India working under government control and the name of this institution is given below:

• Institute of Naval Medicine, INHS, Aswini

About Institute of Naval Medicine, INHS, Aswini:

Institute of Naval Medicine, INHS, Aswini located in the city of Mumbai came into existence in the year 1972 and it is running under the control of Government. The Medical Council of India has approved the institution and the Diploma in Marine Medicine course offered by the institution is affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. INHS is the first Naval hospital that came into existence in the year 1756.

About the course:

Every candidate for the Diploma in Marine Medicine will have to register as a PG student before admission to the course. To be eligible to apply for this course, candidates must have completed their MBBS from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences or from any other institution as recognized by the university. As mentioned earlier, the course extends to a period of two years divided into four academic terms. Training for the course will include didactic as well as demonstration and practical training at the institute of Naval Medicine located at Mumbai. Only those candidates, who have taken up for four academic terms and has undergone courses of studies inclusive of field training, demonstration and practical training to the satisfaction of the head of the institution will be permitted to sit for the final examination of the diploma course.

Syllabus for Diploma in Marine Medicine:

Some of the subjects offered in the Diploma in Marine Medicine course include:

• Human Physiology

o Physiological effects of high pressure

o Temperature regulation of the human body

o Physiology of special senses

o Respiratory system in detail

Category of candidates:

Candidates admitted to the Diploma in Marine Medicine with Institute of Naval Medicine will be classified under the following categories:

• Service doctors doing their advanced course in the specialty while in service will be guided by the rules of advanced course

• Civilian doctors will be guided by the rules of NHQ and by the rules of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences

• Training cells will be located in the Institute of Naval Medicine and School of Naval Medicine

Future scope:

In the case of MBBS doctors already working with Indian Navy, Diploma in Marine Medicine will be useful for them to improve in their job position and scale as well. While in the case of civilian doctors, this course can acts as an entry ticket to the Indian Navy.