Occupational medicine is the branch of clinical medicine most active in the field of occupational health. OM specialists work to ensure that the highest standards of occupational health and safety can be achieved and maintained. While it may involve a wide number of disciplines, it centers on the preventive medicine and management of illness, injury or disability that is related to the workplace.Occupational physicians must have a wide knowledge of clinical medicine and be competent in a number of important areas. They often advise international bodies, governmental and state agencies, organizations and trade unions. There are contextual links to insurance medicine.
Occupational medicine aims to prevent diseases and promote wellness among workers.Occupational health physicians must:
- Have knowledge of potential hazards in the workplace including toxic properties of materials used.
- Be able to evaluate employee fitness for work.
- Be able to diagnose and treat occupational disease and injury.
- Know about rehabilitation methods, health education, and government laws and regulations concerning workplace health.
- Be able to manage health service delivery.
OM can be described as:
"work that combines clinical medicine, research, and advocacy for
people who need the assistance of health professionals to obtain some
measure of justice and health care for illnesses they suffer as a result
of companies pursuing the biggest profits they can make, no matter what
the effect on workers or the communities they operate in.
American schools
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- West Virginia School of Medicine Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- University of Michigan School of Public Health
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health/HealthPartners
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
- Harvard School of Public Health
- University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health
- University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston
- University of Utah- Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
- University of South Florida College of Public Health
- University of Washington School of Public Health
