Occupational Medicine Residency - Overview

The USF Occupational Medicine Residency (OMR) is a two year concurrent academic and practicum training program designed to prepare physicians for leadership roles in the specialty of occupational and environmental medicine.

We are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The program is located in Tampa, Florida at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in the Department of Preventive/Occupational Medicine. Preparing resident physicians to become board certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) is a principle objective of our program. The academic coursework leads to a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree which is attained through the USF College of Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health. The USF OMR training program was established in 1991 by Dr. Stuart Brooks, the recipient of the 2012 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine William S. Knudsen Award, which recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of Occupational Medicine.

USF offers its occupational medicine residents with unparalleled clinical experiences in a variety of settings: hospital based clinics, local private practices, CSX Transportation, NASA – Kennedy Space Center, OSHA, FOX News, Tampa Electric Company, Summit Insurance and others. Please refer to our practicum rotations page for more information about each rotation. The two-year practicum portion of the OMR includes 24 months of practicum rotations. During the clinical training, residents spend an average of 8 months in “real world of work” experiences, which provide an opportunity to learn in various OM settings. While under the supervision of attending physicians residents are able to demonstrate increased responsibility over time. The “real world of work” rotations provide a chance for residents to interact with a variety of important components and personnel that are integral to the practice of OM: nurses, administrators, insurance personnel, safety professionals, union representatives, human resource specialists, etc. Remaining practicum months are intended to give residents a broad medical knowledge base, increased exposure to interdisciplinary teaching, and experiences with health and safety, legal, ethical and social issues involved in OM practice.

The academic course work leads to a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) and consists of the following:

1. Five core courses which teach the basic principles and skills essential to Preventive Medicine: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health and Policy Management, Environmental and Occupational Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences;
2. Nine required concentration courses: Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Medicine for Health Professionals, Aspects of Plant Operations (field course), Safety Management, Seminar in Occupational and Environmental Research (each semester), Occupational Health Law, Safety and Health Administration, Environmental /Occupational Toxicology, Occupational Epidemiology;
3. Six credit hours of thesis research;
4. Three credit hours of electives.

Academic training also includes weekly didactic sessions with experts in areas pertinent to OM. Board review, Journal Club, research methodology and statistics. Certification workshops in specialty areas such as hearing conservation, and spirometry are provided as well. Residents are provided funded opportunities to attend national OM professional conferences and training courses for DOT Medical Examiner and Medical Review Officer (MRO).

Residents are encouraged to participate in scientific endeavors (i.e., submit their research papers to professional journals and attend/present at professional conferences). At the completion of their training, there is a required comprehensive exam and a thesis defense.

The four overarching goals for USF OMR are:

1. To ensure thorough training so that each resident develops proficiency to competently practice as an Occupational Medicine physician.
2. Have residents understand concepts unique to the specialty of Occupational Medicine and to acquire expertise in all areas where the job and the worker interface (from the pre-placement physical through work related risks, exposures, injuries/illnesses, treatment and return to duty or evaluation for permanent impairment).
3. To produce capable physicians with critical thinking skills. OMR graduates should be able to utilize evidence based approaches to offer solutions to complex clinical and workplace challenges.
4. To develop the knowledge, skills, and passion to promote the prevention of injury and disease along with the enhancement of workforce health.

Highlights:

• Patient simulation (an innovative teaching method) in musculoskeletal injury and heavy metal exposure continues to be an important tool for hands on learning and resident self-assessment.
• The OMR has added Occupational Medicine and Preventive Medicine board review courses that are highly regarded by the current residents.
• Wednesday didactic sessions are structured on a two-year rotating schedule that enhances residents skills and knowledge of the ACGME and ACOEM competencies.
• An updated program evaluation process allows the program director, faculty, residency advisory committee, clinical competency committee and program evaluation committee, to access all clinical rotations, procedural skills of residents, evaluations of residents, faculty evaluations (by residents) program evaluations (residents and faculty) to determine whether the program provides the necessary training to enable our graduates have the knowledge and skills to practice OM independently and competently.
• Graduates of the occupational medicine residency at USF hold esteemed positions throughout industry, academia and the military. Examples of current residency alumni employers include the US Air Force, Kaiser Permanente, Eli Lilly and Company, Concentra, University of South Florida, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, FOX News, Summit Insurance, Jet Medical, Baptist Community Health, Florida Hospital, and other community hospitals and clinics.