Entering the Field in Mid Career
Physicians enter occupational and environmental medicine through two primary routes: 1) after residency or fellowship training in occupational and environmental medicine; or 2) from another clinical discipline such as internal, family, or emergency medicine.
Other specialties that provide background for occupational and environmental medicine practice include surgery, orthopedics, and rehabilitation medicine.
Opportunities for occupational and environmental medicine practice depend primarily on the physician's educational experience. For example, physicians are frequently recruited to develop and implement an occupational health program at a hospital or clinic setting or to join established clinical groups.
Occupational and environmental physicians are also needed by corporations, group practices, hospitals, consulting firms, and educational institutions. Federal and state government service offers additional opportunities for careers in occupational and environmental medicine. Epidemiologic, toxicologic, and clinical research is performed in government facilities, academic institutions, corporate research centers, and on a contract basis, usually by government or industry. Compensation is favorable compared with other types of non-procedural medical practice.
Physicians who enter occupational and environmental medicine from another medical specialty, often at mid-career, usually begin by working a few hours a week at a local plant site. These activities may expand to include service to other organizations or to be fully employed by a major corporation in a large, medium-sized, or small company.
Training for mid-career physicians includes:
Short Courses
Many universities conduct short courses (from three days to three weeks duration) in which specific subjects relating to occupational and environmental medical practices are offered. One-year courses in occupational medicine are also available in schools of public health.
ACOEM Sessions and Courses
ACOEM offers scientific sessions and courses on subjects directly related to the practice of occupational and environmental medicine. Sessions are held at the annual spring American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC). Continuing medical education offerings are also provided to College members at state and regional component society meetings and other locations throughout the country. An expanding offering of webinars and self-assessments provides a convenient form for continuing education.
Courses include:
- Basic Curriculum in Occupational Medicine: A Survey of the Essentials. This series of three two-day courses teaches the fundamental principles and scope of occupational and environmental medicine. Each segment is self-contained and provides practical information useful to the OEM physician in managing the clinical, regulatory, and administrative functions of an OEM practice at a primary care level.
- Segment 1: Foundations, Epidemiology, and Lung Disorders;
- Segment 2: Toxicology, Drug & Alcohol Testing, Dermatology, and Backs & Arm;
- Segment 3: Industrial Hygiene and Specific Workplace Health Concerns.
- Medical Review Officer Training Courses. ACOEM offers three types of medical review officer (MRO) courses to instruct physicians on how to understand and comply with drug testing and MRO requirements: the two-day Comprehensive Course; the one and one-half-day Fast Track Course; and the one-day Refresher Course. These courses can help occupational and environmental medicine physicians prepare to take the MRO certification examination offered by the Medical Review Officers Certification Council (MROCC). See also information on the Medical Review Officer (MRO) Self-Assessment.
- Commercial Driver Medical Examiner Courses. More than eight million truck and bus drivers are required to meet the 13 interstate federal medical requirements. This single-day course is critical for all persons involved in such examinations, so they are fully aware of the available guidance and medical literature. Note also the Commercial Driver Medical Examiner Center which brings together all the resources of ACOEM to train and assist members who evaluate the medical fitness of the more than 8 million commercial drivers.
- Impairment and Disability Evaluation Courses. With workers' compensation, disability, personal injury, and other claims on the rise, insurer attorneys, employers, and governmental agencies are seeking experienced, third-party evaluators to provide quality independent medical evaluations (IMEs) and perform impairment evaluations. To fill this growing need, ACOEM offers two courses that enable participants to become skilled evaluating physicians -- the two-day "Evaluating Impairment -- Use of the AMA Guidelines" course and the two-day "Advanced Topics" course. These courses can help occupational and environmental medicine physicians prepare to take the IME certification examination offered by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME).
- Occupational Medicine Board Review Course. This two-day course explains the contents and requirements of the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) examination in occupational medicine. It covers all topics relevant to the exam's occupational medicine section and provides test-taking strategies and sample questions.
- Additional courses are offered by ACOEM for the Medical Center Occupational Health, Musculoskeletal Exam & Treatment Techniques, and Health and Productivity Management.