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Mike White Mike White, MD, UHM, MMM, CWS | Updated on Aug 21, 2024

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine as a Subspecialty

Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine is a medical subspecialty focused on preventing and treating injuries and illnesses related to environments with elevated ambient pressure, such as diving and hyperbaric chamber exposure. It also involves the therapeutic use of high-pressure environments and the delivery of oxygen under pressure to treat various medical conditions. The subspecialty encompasses the occupational, environmental, safety, and clinical aspects of diving, hyperbaric chamber operations, compressed air work, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Certifications

The table below list options for Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers to either obtain various certifications in hyperbaric medicine. The opportunities range from traditional "Board Certification" for Physicians to educational programs that give vital training in hyperbaric medicine to a variety of practitioners with various terminal degrees and give those practitioners a way to differentiate themselves in the field. Please note that non-accredited programs are not listed. 

CertificationSponsored ByAccredited byOpen toInitial Requirements
Board Certification in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
American Board of Medical Specialties
MD, DO
Active current medical license in US or Canada, Primary board certification (ABMS, AOA, RCPSC, or CFPC), completion of 1- year ACGME accredited fellowship
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Subspecialty Certification
American Osteopathic Association
DO
AOA board eligible, completion of 1-year AOA or ACGME accredited fellowship
Program for Advance Training in Hyperbaric Medicine (PATH)
UHMS
MD, DO, MBBS, NP, APRN, PA
Completion of UHMS approved 40-hour Introductory Course in Hyperbaric Medicine, be a UHMS member, completion of self-directed learning modules (9), completion of UMHS approved in-person Hyperbaric skills and emergency management course or completion of UHMS Physicians Training in Diving Medicine course

Abbreviations: MD = Doctor of Medicine, DO = Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, MBBS or MBBCh = Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science, NP= Nurse Practitioner, APRN = Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, PA = Physician Assistant


About the Authors

Mike White, MD, UHM, MMM, CWS
Dr. White is boarded in family medicine, undersea and hyperbaric medicine, and is a certified wound specialist. Formerly serving as Chief Medical Officer for Universal Medical Management and later at Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, FL. He currently servest as the Medical Director at the Palmetto Baptist Advanced Wound Care Center in Columbia, SC. Dr. White received his Doctorate of Medicine from Marshall University and completed a Masters of Medical Management from Tulane University in 2009. He has been with Wound Care Education Partners since 2011.
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