Dr. Christian T. Petersen, M.D.
Lieutenant Commander (s), U. S. Navy
Clinical Director
Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center
Panama City, FL 32407
(850) 231-5217
dive_doc@juno.com

I grew up in Rapid City, SD and later attended the University of Minnesota, where I earned both a B.A. inphysiology and an M.D. After completing my surgical internship, I moved to Groton, CT to attend the Naval Undersea Medical Institute. As part of my training in Undersea Medicine, I completed the Diving Medical Officer (DMO) course at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center and qualified as a U.S. Navy Deep Sea Diver and SCUBA Diver. Subsequently, I have qualified in U.S. Navy Mark 16 mixed gas diving, HeO2 mixed gas diving, and saturation diving and hold civilian certification as a NAUI Master SCUBA Diver and IANTD Enriched Air Nitrox Diver. As a U. S. Navy DMO, I have had the opportunity to dive in the Florida Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, and in rivers and freshwater mountain lakes using a variety of diving rigs. I have also had the opportunity to treat a variety of diving casualties, ranging from simple stingray wounds and middle ear squeezes to decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism. Last year, however, I had the unique opportunity to be a part of the Aquarius program - first as the mission DMO in July 2001 and then as an Aquanaut in November 2001. It was truly an honor to be invited back as an Aquanaut for the November mission, and it was an incredible experience that I will never forget. I am looking forward to working with the entire Aquarius crew and Aquanauts again during this May 2002 mission.