Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) Refresher Course
Overview
This professional education course provides upskilling and refresher training for Designated Aviation Medical Examiners (DAMEs) who conduct assessments of applicants for a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Aviation Medical Certificate. It revises the environmental physiology of flight, refreshes processes of aeromedical decision making, factors affecting pilot performance and the impact of clinical conditions on flight safety. The course has been designed primarily for former and current CASA Designated Aviation Medical Examiners to refresh their knowledge and maintain clinical currency to the standards prescribed by CASA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
It is important to note that this course does not satisfy the requirements of initial training for Designated Aviation Medical Examiners for CASA. More information about initial DAME training can be found here.
Developed collaboratively by experts and experienced lecturers from Human Aerospace and CASA, this course promises to keep DAMEs up to date in this specialty area, ensuring a safer sky for all.
Key facts
Day 1 - DAME Refresher
In-person
11 April 2026, RACV Club Melbourne
$880.00 (incl GST)
Certificate + Gain CPD points
Educational Activity (EA): 5
Reviewing Performance (RP): 2
Day 2 - Hypoxia Awareness Training (Optional)
In-person
12 April 2026, Biomedtech Australia, Moorabbin VIC.
$550.00 (incl GST). Places strictly limited.
Gain CPD points
Educational Activity (EA): 1.5
Reviewing Performance (RP): 1.5
“I’m really excited to see Human Aerospace launch their short courses in aerospace medicine and health. Not only will this upskill those already qualified as DAMEs but will introduce this increasingly important area to a broader audience of doctors and other health professionals.”
Professor Tracy Smart AO
- BMBS, MPH, MA, Dip Avmed, FRACMA, FACAsM, FAsMA, FCDSS, FACHSM (Hon)
- Air Vice-Marshal (ret’d)
- Professor, Military and Aerospace Medicine, ANU
Course details
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The aim of this short course is to equip participants with a knowledge of the fundamentals of aerospace medicine, and to apply Australian regulatory standards to aeromedical certification, assess risks and environmental stressors, evaluate aircraft-related health and safety concerns, determine fitness for flight, and analyse the impact of medical conditions on flight safety.
By completing this course, participants will have the skills and knowledge to:
Apply principles of aeromedical decision making and risk assessment when providing opinions on medical certificate applicants.
Critically evaluate the impact of environmental stressors of flight on human physiology and medical conditions
Assess the impact human factors on pilot performance and flight safety.
Critically evaluate how various medical conditions may affect fitness for flight and degrade flight safety.
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To meet the requirements of the Designated Aviation Medical Examiner (DAME) Refresher course you must be a medical doctor with:
Undergraduate or Postgraduate degree in Medicine; AND
Current medical registration with AHPRA; AND
Fellowship of a specialist medical college (including General Practice); AND
Be a former or current qualified CASA Designated Aviation Medical Examiner.
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The course will provide approximately one day (8 hours) of face-to-face engagement including lectures and case studies. Approximately 4 hours of pre-course preparation time is expected to prepare a clinical case study for presentation at the workshops.
Morning sessions: Aeromedical Decision Making, Altitude and Environmental Physiology, Pilot Performance
Afternoon sessions: Human Performance, Clinical Aviation Medicine Workshops & Case Discussions.
Location: The course will run in person immediately prior to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ASAM) and the Western Australian Regional ASAM meeting in Perth.
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18 September 2025 at the Hilton Hotel, Adelaide, immediately prior to the ASAM 2025 Conference.
14 November 2025 at The Westin, Perth
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Fees
$TBC (inclusive of GST)
Inclusions
Certificate of Participation.
Access to Aerospace Medicine specialists from Human Aerospace and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Administrative and teaching support.
Catering: morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea.
Cancellation
Human Aerospace and CASA reserve the right to cancel or modify the course details, dates, and venues. Registrations exceeding capacity or insufficient enrolments may result in cancellation, with participants notified promptly.
Refunds
Participants may be eligible for refunds under certain conditions:
If Human Aerospace cancels the course.
If a visa application is refused (proof required).
If cancellation occurs six weeks before the start date.
No refunds for withdrawals within six weeks of the start date. Registration can be transferred to a substitute participant of to a later course.
KEY PEOPLE
Professor Gordon Cable AM, Cofounder and head of Flight Medicine at Human Aerospace.
Professor Cable is an Honorary Professor of Aerospace Medicine, School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Aerospace Medicine, long-time educator at former head of training at RAAF Institute of Aviation Medicine, Space Medicine & Life Sciences Lead (2020–21) at the Australian Space Agency, and holds multiple international aerospace Fellowships.
Professor Tracy Smart AO, Professor, Military and Aerospace Medicine, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology
Professor Smart is Professor of Military & Aerospace Medicine at ANU, focusing on health security, military service impacts, leadership, and as a Space Medicine Mission Specialist for InSpace. A physician and retired RAAF senior officer, she served 35 years, including RAF/USAF exchanges, overseas deployments, and as ADF Surgeon General.
Dr Kate Manderson, Principal Medical Officer, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Dr Manderson is Principal Medical Officer for Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority. She specialized in aerospace medicine through the ADF (Royal Australian Navy) before joining the civil sector. She’s a Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society, the Aerospace Medical Association, Australasian College of Aerospace Medicine, and RACGP, with broad experience in medical education, leadership, and governance, focusing on rural healthcare.
Dr Tony Hochberg, Deputy Principal Medical Officer, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Dr Hochberg is Deputy Principal Medical Officer at CASA, with a background as an Aviation Doctor for CAA NZ/CASA and Corporate Physician, managing aeromedical retrievals, hyperbaric repatriation, and travel health. He taught aviation medicine (postgrad) and occupational medicine at Edith Cowan University, University of Otago, and Curtin University.