Our program goal is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in the occupational health professions through an enrichment experience over an 8-week summer period (Occupational Health Internship Program - OHIP). The OHIP program is designed to collaborate with and support the goals of the NIOSH ERCs and TPGs to increase the diversity of students who enter their training programs. Our enrichment experience is designed for students who are considering a public health career, but who are not yet familiar with the occupational health professions as a career option. Our goal is to provide these students with an experienced-based learning opportunity that motivates and inspires them to continue their academic training through graduate programs in the occupational health professions. We target third or fourth year undergraduate students, bachelors graduates who have not yet embarked on a graduate degree program, and graduate students who are considering additional academic training. Our program is based on the concept that an 8-week experience can serve as an important factor in assisting students to pursue a career in the occupational health professions. Each of the OHIP trainees will gain an understanding of the: importance of health and safety hazards in determining the health of workers and the general community; changing nature of the workforce and importance of designing specific health and safety programs to meet the needs of specific worker groups; and role of occupational health and safety professionals in reducing workplace health and safety hazards The participatory research model is used as a central paradigm in the design of our curriculum, and we ensure that trainees design and implement their projects based on the needs of workers. We rely on worker and/or community organizations to provide the linkage between the trainees and the worker/workplace, and require our students to complete a structured 8-week program with specific timetables and products. Through experimental learning and mentorship, we expect to assist NIOSH in recruiting URM students into the occupational health professions. The OHIP program should be considered one aspect of an overall strategic plan for ensuring diversity in the nations' occupational health professional workforce. ? ? ? ?
