Are you interested in learning about diving medicine and safety protocols for scuba divers? If so, college students can enhance their interests through the DAN Internship Program.
Anyone who participates will have an opportunity to develop and boost their professional skills that may eventually lead to a career advancement.
DAN Diving Medicine, Research, and Safety
Interns have been gaining valuable experiences in dive safety research since the creation of the DAN Internship Program (20+ years ago).
As a result, more than one hundred apprentices have acquired superior knowledge and skills in diving-related fields.
During this period, interns get to promote dive safety and complement DAN's efforts to aid divers who need emergency medical assistance.
It is not uncommon for DAN Internship Program candidates to obtain a direct path to further career opportunities in a diving safety related vocation. All interns will be working alongside a mentor based at DAN Headquarters in Durham, North Carolina.
have opportunities to take part in continuing education courses.
Become familiar with pressure vessels (e.g. hyperbaric chambers, different kinds of scuba cylinders) through a combination of training materials, seminars, and field trips.
Participate in the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) program and Recompression Chamber Assistance.
Assist in ongoing field assessments of dive operations, hyperbaric chambers, and other related facilities. It is important for interns to understand the roles of chamber safety authorities and DAN dive safety advisors.
DAN Internship Programs may include traineeship experiences in the following topics (or field missions):
Working with multiple departments to acquire an in-depth understanding of DAN's mission:
Helping divers in need of medical emergency assistance and promoting dive safety through research, education, products, and services.
Collaboration and engagement with other DAN Interns and Our World Underwater Scholars.
Opportunities for scientific writing, which may include:
Authorship of blog posts.
Alert Diver magazine articles.
Dive training opportunities and learning more about the science of diving from leading experts in dive safety and dive medicine.
DAN Research Volunteer Program and the Early Stage Researcher Development Program.
An organised tour of the hyperbaric chamber at Duke University Medical Center and a visit to collaborators in the Dayton Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
A visit to the Luxfer Gas Cylinders manufacturing plant and being trained as a Professional Cylinder Inspector (PCI) and a Professional Scuba Inspector (PSI).
Volunteering as participants for research studies at Duke University.
DAN Research Volunteer Training Program
Early-Stage Researchers can take part in a 48-hour course and learn which scientific techniques and methodology is needed to pursue a career in diving science.
A combination of classroom sessions and fieldwork encompasses the following topics:
Diving theory—Physics, technical understanding of equipment, basics of hyperbaric treatment, diving physiology and medicine.
Diving science—overview of current diving research (worldwide).
The role of Divers Alert Network in the diving science world.
Field experiment planning.
Human specimen collection (e.g. blood, saliva, urine).
Introduction to bubble counting.
First aid and oxygen administration training.
Open Water Application
Echocardiography training.
Research techniques (including blood pressure measurements, body fat calculations, EKG measurement, hydration assessment).
Early-Stage Researcher Development Program
Research Department staff and collaborators will lead interns through a 12-week program (e.g. six hours per week) to cover the following skill workshops:
Oral presentation skills for public and scientific audiences
Poster presentation for scientific conferences
Peer reviewed publishing
Literature searches and management
Scientific writing
Career development
Self-marketing
Productivity and time management
Project management
Research methodology: Study design
Research methodology: Statistics
Diving Science Journal Club
Requirements for Acceptance
Young college students should have an educational background or major in the sciences (preferred). Ideal candidates will have good organisational skills and will also be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.
The DAN Internship does not contain any specific diver training. But, candidates should be certified scuba divers, and have some diving experience, to address many of the activities that focus on dive safety.
DAN Internship Program Location
Divers Alert Network 6 West Colony Place
Durham
NC 27705 USA
Schedule for Interns
Approximately twelve (12) weeks (usually May through August)
Extensions are possible based on several factors
Full Time: Monday to Friday (8:30am to 5pm)
There may be occasional weekend obligations
Compensation
DAN internships are mostly unpaid. Even so, interns may receive reimbursements for accommodation, board, as well as other selected costs by submitting a weekly expense log to the internship administrator.
Note: The short video [1:01 seconds] presented by Divers Alert Network outlines what to expect from the DAN Internship Program. Click here to contact Private Scuba Instructors in Pattaya, Thailand.