Dear Community Members,<br><br>( This could be a big post )<br><br>Before I start asking questions, to give a clearer picture I would like to briefly introduce myself.<br><br>I am from India, 33 yrs of age , Medical Professional.( Gen.Surgeon )<br><br>Since last year I started sailing because I wanted to have some time for myself. ( By God’s grace money is not an issue for me.) <br><br>I have specifically avoided passanger vessels because its exactly the same as being a consultant at any big hospital on land. Hence I found out these offshore DP vessels.<br><br>During my tenure there as a Chief Medical Officer for 6 months, I could have lot of time for myself which I spent on the bridge and could completely understand and operate the Kongsburg DP 1 system. ( Computers are my hobby and I am a part of Google’s API developement team, related to kernel developement for slackware 10 onwards .I have also done some flying in the past so understanding the forces acting on the vessel and the computerised DP system in general was not at all difficult.)<br><br>At this stage in life, I CANNOT invest 6 -10 years more to get a mate’s licence. <br><br>Inspit of this fact; career as a DPO has interested me a lot. Now, here are some questions :-<br><br>1) Does the marine world accept candidates who do NOT have a mate’s ticket / licence to sail as junior DPO ? ( I could pay for the induction course but later on if I do not get the 2 months of sea training because i do not have a mate’s licence, its waste of money.)<br><br>If there is some such company, could I please get the contact details … payment is not at all an issue … I have fallen in love with the sea . <br><br>2) I have tried to mail these questions to multiple DPO schools which usually end up mailing their course dates and fees without answering the specific questions mentioned in the mail. I was trying to find out if the 2 months of sailing after the induction course is included in the dp induction course or it has to be arranged by the candidate with some company. If there is any such DPO school which gives this facility ( 2 months sailing included in the pkg ) I would like to know about it.<br><br>Now, during my tenure on FFSV / DSV / PSV etc undoubtedly there were a few accidents on the vessel but because a medical officer was present on board, lot of damage could also be reduced. So, <br><br>3) Are you guys aware of any such international offshore ships / companies who require to have a medical officer on board ? ( Specifically asking this because I feel that a medic + DPO would be a good resource for some company.)<br><br>Currently there is no offshore shipping company in india which would employ juniorDPO without a mate’s licence … also, on more realistic grounds, the office staff there is a complete bunch of non -negociable people because they have their company rulesets which these office people cannot bend. Hence I have to look at an international scene.<br> <br>Kindly guide me in your marine world.<br><br>Thanking You,<br><br>Sincerely<br><br>Dr. Joshi.
Joshi,<br><br>1) Very few accept non-licnesed mates but they do exist. More opportunites will likely arise as the industry is building a massive number of hulls right now. <br><br>2) Call the schools directly, don’t write.<br><br>3) Maybe dive support vessels? <br><br>You might also try hiring on with a company that has non-licensed DPO’s as a medic. Once aboard spend all your free time in the DP room learning that ship’s system and you’ll most likely get a DP job.
Well, looks like it may be a good idea to have a mate’s ticket. <br><br>One of my friends in marine field told me something about Georgia maritime school which is the shortest possible course to acquire a mate’s ticket. I could not find such information on web.<br><br>Anyone knows the shortest possible course to get a mate’s ticket in any country ? <br><br>Thank you<br><br>Dr. Joshi.
Try the Great Lakes Maritime academy: <A href="http://www.nmc.edu/maritime/]http://www.nmc.edu/maritime/</A>. Believe they have a 2 year program - with your background should be pretty doable. Good luck.
<P>My own thoughts concerning your questions</P>
<P>The primary reason DPO’s are also licensed mates is that all vessels have a safe manning certificate which mandates a certain minimum number of mates be carried. Since they are already required to be there the logical answer to the vessel operators is for those mates to be the DPOs as well. Being a DPO may not be a watchstander per se but since DP consoles are almost exclusively on the vessel/rigs bridge being a DPO is pretty much an extension of a mate’s job. The exception to this might be the semisubmersible rigs owner by ENSCO which “I have heard” do not have the licensed mate’s serve as their DPOs. I checked their website on this but there is no indication one way or other. Also, I believe that there are some DPO/Electronics Technicians out there but don;t know which companies but since you are not an Electronics Tech that point is moot.<br><br>Concerning a physician offshore, all the medical personnel I have experienced on the vessels I have served previously are EMTs although I think that they have advanced training due to the remote areas of operations of offshore vessels. I don’t think any company would be interested in a DPO/EMT combined job description. They are too far apart in duties.<br><br>Regarding the possibility of fast track training to a mate’s license, the STCW convention (which all maritime nations as signatory to) mandates the minimum requirements for training and exerience before anyone gets a mate’s license. Any school claiming they have a special program which circumvents the convention is a scam or will result in a license which could not legally be recognized by signatory nations so even if Georgia has their own lesser standards it gains you nada.</P>
<P>there is a good medic on the drillship i work on who comes up often to the DP room so it is wholly possible, not that he has become a DPO but there is the potential. i dont know if you could start in DP but you definitely could be a medic and spend an hour or two a day up in the DP room, usually the operators will be able to teach you. this is for Transocean, very good company in its training but they will likely start you as medic. eventually they might put you in as ADPO. </P>
<P>i don’t know of anyone filling the requirement of medic and dpo, if you became dpo after starting as a medic i highly doubt you will do any medic work except for emergences, though you could do some first aid/ cpr demonstrations at drills. <br><br>i don’t know if its feasible to go to dp school prior to working, as you need time working DP to get the DPO certificate… <br><br>if you do get a mate’s license, realize that some companies require unlimited tonnages.<br><br>best of luck!</P>