Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residencies

The Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics hosts Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) and General Preventive Medicine (GPM). These programs are part of the National Capital Consortium, which sponsors over 40 military GME programs in the Washington area. Both programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and lead to eligibility for certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
 
OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY
Mission: To train and graduate physicians who will be capable of developing and managing an occupational health program for military and civilian personnel at any size military installation. They will be aware of the duties and responsibilities of the other members of the occupational health “team” and work with the other team members in preventing, diagnosing, and treating occupational injury and illness.
 
The National Capital Consortium Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) Residency is a two-year training program for Uniformed Services physicians. The program consists of an academic year or post-graduate year two (PGY-2) and practicum year or PGY-3. Since the USUHS OEM residency does not offer a PGY-1 or internship year, all physicians must have completed a clinical PGY-1 year and be eligible for a medical license before beginning training.
 
Academic Year Structure
During the academic year, the residents complete all requirements for a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in the Environmental and Occupational Health track (see MPH areas of concentration). The objective of the academic year is to provide the resident with a foundation in the core disciplines of public health and to prepare the resident for occupational medicine practice during the practicum year. In addition to the required core MPH courses described in this Handbook, the OEM resident will take PM0504 Biostatistics II, and PM0512 Epidemiologic Methods, as well as classes in toxicology, industrial hygiene, and clinical and administrative occupational health.
 
Practicum Year Structure
The practicum year, which immediately follows the academic year, consists of series of rotations where the resident is given the opportunity to attain competence in many aspects of occupational medicine and to work with practicing occupational health professionals who serve as preceptors. The typical practicum year includes six to eight rotations, which are four to eight weeks long. All residents complete two 2-month rotations at organizations with a full-service occupational health program (these rotations are referred to as “industrial” rotations) and a two-month rotation at the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Occupational Medicine. US Army physicians also complete a required two-month rotation at the US Army Center for Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion. For the remaining four to six months of the practicum year, the resident is allowed to choose from among elective rotations in various aspects of clinical and administrative occupational medicine. A typical occupational and environmental resident schedule would be as follows:
 
OSHA, Office of Occupational Medicine (2-month required rotation)
Industrial rotation (two 2-month required rotations)
Examples: National Security Agency
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Naval Branch Clinic Indian Head
National Naval Medical Center
Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA
US Coast Guard Shipyard, Baltimore, MD
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
IBM
General Motors Assembly Plant, Baltimore
 
US Army Center of Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (2-month required rotation for US Army physicians/elective for all others)
 
Electives (clinical/administrative/industrial – 1-2 month rotations)
Examples: Clinical rotations at USUHS-affiliated teaching hospitals
Pulmonary Medicine
Dermatology
Sports/Rehabilitation Medicine
Travel Medicine
Administrative rotations:
US Environmental Protection Agency
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Disability management corporation
Health maintenance organization
Occupational health research
 
The practicum year also includes selected courses and occupational medicine conferences such as:
 
Medical Management of Chemical Casualties
Toxic Chemical Training Course for Medical Support Personnel
Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation
Current Concepts in Environmental and Operational Medicine
Environmental Risk Communication
American Occupational Health Conference
Medical Review Officer course
Impairment and Disability Evaluation course
Service specific occupational medicine conferences
In addition to the academic and practicum training described above, the residents participate in weekly journal club and seminars throughout the entire two years of training. The journal clubs review the literature of occupational and environmental medicine and general preventive medicine and public health; the seminars include special emphasis on the military unique aspects of occupational medicine.
 
RESIDENCY APPLICATION AND ADMISSION PROCEDURES
Application to NCC GPM or OEM residencies is a two-part procedure. Military physicians must apply to NCC GPM or OEM residencies through the Joint Graduate Medical Education Selection Board (GMESB). Individuals should contact their service-specific GME offices for information and the DoD GME application. Additionally, each candidate must also apply directly to USUHS by January 15 for acceptance to the MPH or MTM&H program (see section on admission procedures.)
 
Officers applying to USUHS are strongly encouraged to contact the individual Residency Program Director by phone or e-mail to arrange an interview:
 
OEM Residency Program Director
Department of Preventive Medicine & Biometrics
(301) 295-3717
 
GPM Residency Program Director
Department of Preventive Medicine & Biometrics
(301) 295-3717

Contacts

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814

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