Good morning Ed, you may need to do your training with a group like DiveHeart.org or WWP to get around your doctors concerns. There are divers with both groups and others on this board so I’m sure you will hear from them.
Yes in helping a panicked diver you approach from the rear so they don’t take your reg and drown you. You just need to remember that you are both probably wearing full wet suits and rape can’t happen.