Lindenwood University Associate Professor in Paramedicine and Nursing Dr. Darrell DeMartino recently graduated with a Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine from the Wilderness Medical Society, the organization announced in a press release.

The diploma recognizes WMS members who have displayed remarkable expertise, dedication, and contributions to the field of diving and marine medicine.

As one of eight graduates, DeMartino will receive his diploma at an induction ceremony during the WMS Summer Conference on July 17 in Spokane, Washington.

Currently the department head of the health sciences division of the College of Science, Technology, and Health, DeMartino is a dual board-certified nurse practitioner, registered nurse, and paramedic with nearly three decades of healthcare experience.

“It is an honor to have achieved this diploma,” DeMartino said. “It was a great way merge my dive and on-water experiences with my healthcare experiences. Learning to address health and emergency issues in the austere environment such as on remote islands or on a live-abroad requires unique skills. The Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine provided this foundation.”

The Diploma in Diving and Marine Medicine is a rigorous program designed to train participants in the essentials of caring for patients in the marine environment. Graduates completed specialized training in diving physics; physiology and medicine; management of diving accidents; hazards of the marine environment; the essentials of medicine at sea; water rescue and survival techniques; and trip planning.  

"His commitment to advancing the field and his outstanding contributions make him a valuable member of this distinguished group of individuals and our organization as a whole,” WMS President Dr. Ian Wedmore said in the press release.

Having been in and around lakes and oceans since he was a kid, DeMartino started scuba diving and began his career in the healthcare field as an EMT/paramedic in the 1990s. He then became a scuba diving instructor in 1999, a registered nurse in the 2000s and then a nurse practitioner in 2014.

DeMartino joined Lindenwood in 2017 and has taught EMS and nursing courses for more than 20 years.

His devotion to healthcare symbolizes dedication – a core value at Lindenwood – and allows him to continue sharing his wealth of healthcare knowledge and experience with his students through the courses he teaches at the University.