DAN Medical Research
Internship Program : FAQs

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Does DAN provide the interns any training?
Yes, the interns are brought to DAN Headquarters and Duke in mid-May for a weeklong seminar in diving physiology and research methodology. They will also become familiarized with the DAN mission and Project Dive Exploration so that they will be able to communicate the importance of dive research for improving the safety of recreational diving. The interns will have access, at DAN and Duke, to people who are actively conducting diving safety research.

What is the schedule for a typical internship season?
The Internship is organized into three sections:

1. Academic and Professional Training Course at DAN Headquarters and Duke (mid-May)

This one-week course includes lectures on DAN, diving physiology, research methodology, and diving injury management. In addition, the Interns receive training and certification in CPR, first aid, and oxygen provision, if not currently certified. Interns are trained as PDE Field Research Coordinators (FRCs) to collect dive data using dive computers and DAS. DAN provides the interns with the necessary equipment and supplies.

2. Field Data Collection or Laboratory Experience at Duke (June – August)

After initial training, Interns will be placed with host facilities.

Field Experience: Interns will remain in residence for 2 to 2 1/2 months and collect dive profile data. Daily activities will include briefing divers about PDE, completing daily interviews with divers, entering dive profile and diver history data into the computer, downloading dive computers, spending time on the dive boats, and interacting with divers. Interns will submit dive profile data to DAN weekly over the Internet and will communicate with the Intern Coordinator at DAN through weekly activity logs. Interns are expected to work a minimum of five days per week collecting PDE data. The number of divers an intern would collect data from daily would be mutually determined and agreed upon by the Intern, DAN Research and the tempo of the Host Facility.

Laboratory Experience: One or two research internship slots may be available at the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology at Duke University (Center). Interns placed at the Center will gain first hand experience with the realities of conducting environmental physiology research. Students will be involved in as many aspects of the process as is practical (including subject and data management, technical writing and project development). Interns typically work on a variety of projects to gain experience. The focus and depth of experience possible is influenced by the duration and timing of the internship period. The normal duration is three months as a full-time commitment.

3. Debriefing (late-August)

Upon completion of the data collection period, Interns will conduct a debriefing with the Internship Program Coordinator either at DAN or by telephone. Final data organization and summary will be finished, equipment will be turned in, and a written review of their experience completed (all or part of the written review may be used in DAN publications). Interns may also participate in a question/answer session with Research department staff either at DAN or over the telephone.

What topics are covered during the training week at DAN Headquarters?
These are some of the topics covered during the training week at DAN Headquarters and at the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology at Duke University Medical Center.

Research:

• Introduction to Internship Program
• Tour of DAN Headquarters
• Tour of Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology
• Seminars on diving safety and decompression illness, including:
  • History of Decompression
  • Haldane and Dive Computers
  • Bubbles and DCS Probability
  • DCS Mechanisms and Factors Affecting Risk
  • Decompression Injuries and Fatalities
  • Project Dive Exploration
  • DAN Research Projects
• PDE Data Collection
• PDE Practice Session

Divers Alert Network:

• Overview of DAN Mission / Volunteering
• Business Membership Brief
• Medical Services Department Brief
• Training Department Brief
• Membership / Insurance Department Brief
• Partners in Dive Safety Program
• Fund-Raising Efforts of DAN
• Professionalism in the Field
• Oxygen Provider Course
• CPR and First Aid

I am not a certified diver. Can I still apply for the internship?
No. Interns must be certified scuba divers because they will be interacting with divers and soliciting volunteers for a research project on dive safety. Please note, however, that diving is not a required activity during the internship.

Is diving required during the internship?
No. Diving is not a requirement in this research-based program. However, interns are offered diving activities from their host facilities.

If I am accepted, can I choose the host site location I want to go to?
The Internship Coordinator is responsible for matching Interns with host sites. While there is some flexibility to accommodate special needs (e.g., an intern usually cannot travel outside the U.S.), in the interest of fairness to all candidates, the matching process will be at the discretion of the Research Department. Matching Interns with location is based on the requirements of the Intern (i.e. credits needed), diving knowledge, diving experience and previous exposure to the diving industry in any capacity (as an employee, instructor, volunteer, etc.). Special skills of the intern such as computer skills, languages, and/or specialized certifications, are also taken into consideration when matching Interns with host facilities.

Will I be an employee of Divers Alert Network during the internship?
No. DAN Research interns are volunteers for the research department and for DAN. Although interns are given a stipend to cover living expenses, they are not salaried employees.

Are there any publications about the internship program that I can refer to?
Various articles and scientific presentations have been written about the DAN Research Internship Program.

I am not a college or medical student. Can I still apply?
No. Applicants to this program must be pursuing an educational goal. Interns can be chosen from undergraduate, graduate (M.S. and Ph.D.), medical programs, recent graduates (within the past year), or accepted for further academic studies.

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