FORT SMITH -- A man who's set to graduate from the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in May was selected as one of fewer than two dozen students to participate in a specific internship with NASA.
Yevgeniy "Eugene" Zhivotovskiy will begin NASA's four-week Aerospace Medicine Clerkship at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston in April, according to a news release from the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.
Zhivotovskiy, 29, said he believed this internship is "critical" in that it will give him a chance to learn more about -- and get hands-on experience in -- the field of aerospace medicine to see if it's something he'd like to pursue further. He hopes to one day serve as a naval flight surgeon, after which he'd like to pursue an Aerospace Medicine Fellowship.
"This is something that would look really, really well when applying to be a flight surgeon in the Navy," Zhivotovskiy said.
However, Zhivotovskiy said his first goal is to be a competent, compassionate and caring physician. He noted many aspects of the Aerospace Medicine Fellowship overlap with family medicine.
"I'm a primary care provider who wants to do space medicine, not a space medicine guy who wants to do primary care," Zhivotovskiy said.
Alongside the internship and wrapping up his four-year journey to obtain his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree, Zhivotovskiy said he is also serving in the Navy as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program. He will start a family medicine residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in California on June 3.
A committee of NASA flight surgeons and other space medicine training and/or clinical operations team members selects a maximum of 20 students who have applied to participate in the Aerospace Medicine Clerkship, according to the NASA website. The agency offers the program twice a year, in April and October.
Participants receive formal lectures on space medicine topics and issues and are familiarized with the medical aspects of International Space Station operations, design and function, the website states. They are also required to complete a research project and scientific poster with an abstract in a current focus area of space medicine and present their work in an open forum poster session.
Shannon Jimenez, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said via email the college is "incredibly proud" of Zhivotovskiy for being selected for the internship. She said Zhivotovskiy is an outstanding candidate for several reasons.
"His desire to practice aerospace medicine for the Navy stands out as the primary motivation," Jimenez said. "Additionally, his exceptional academic performance and strong teamwork skills further reinforce his suitability for this opportunity. The fact that he was chosen reflects his well-rounded excellence as a student. NASA selects individuals who demonstrate advanced abilities to integrate medical knowledge and problem-solving skills into the field of aerospace medicine."
Zhivotovskiy said he was born and raised in Vinnitsia, Ukraine, though he briefly lived in New York with family starting at age 3 or 4. He permanently relocated to the United States -- specifically Burleson, Texas -- after his mother married the man who would become his stepfather when he was 11 or 12 years old.
Zhivotovskiy said most of his family still lives in Ukraine. He recalled being in his second year of medical school and unable to focus on his studies when Russia's invasion of the country began in 2022.
"My aunt was sending me videos of missiles and drones going around their house towards these industrial complexes in our city and all this stuff, so I ended up talking to Dr. [Leslie] Ziegler, who's a faculty at ARCOM, and, I tell this to anybody, but I will run through a wall for that lady," Zhivotovskiy said. "I will do anything for her. I went and literally just cried in her office."
Zhivotovskiy said although he thought he might have needed more time to study for his exams at this point, he ended up taking them and moving forward due to not wanting to fall so far behind. The invasion continues to impact his life "every single day."
Prior to attending the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Zhivotovskiy said he earned three bachelor's degrees -- in microbiology, biology and Russian -- at the University of Texas at Arlington. He also earned a master's degree in medical science from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth -- where he later did traumatic brain injury research -- and taught biology and microbiology lab at Tarrant County College.
Zhivotovskiy said he experienced a very collaborative environment as a College of Osteopathic Medicine student. He believes he will be able to bring that sense of collaboration and teamwork -- along with a sense of community the college imparted -- to the Aerospace Medicine Clerkship.
Zhivotovskiy said the college worked with him to let him use vacation time to participate in the internship while still allowing him to graduate May 18. Jimenez also personally assisted by writing a letter of recommendation for Zhivotovsky that he needed for his application into the program.
Jimenez said she recommended the internship to Zhivotovskiy when he expressed interest in aerospace medicine.
"I have some familiarity with the program as I have had students from other schools participate in the past," Jimenez said. "He is an excellent candidate due to his intelligence, dedication and strong work ethic. Moreover, he possesses a positive 'can-do' attitude and is genuinely compassionate. Collaboration is crucial at NASA, and Eugene excels as a team member; he can take the lead when necessary and follow effectively."
Jimenez said Zhivotovskiy is the first student of the College of Osteopathic Medicine to be chosen for the program as far as she knows.
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NoneInternship eligibility
Anyone interested in applying for the Aerospace Medicine Clerkship must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
Be a United States citizen or hold dual citizenship that includes the United States.
Be at least in their final year of medical school in terms of their education. Residents and attending physicians may apply.
Have an interest in aerospace medicine and plan to apply that in future career goals.
Source: NASA website