This is a competing continuation application for an Occupational Medicine Residency training program at the University of Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 1997, the program has graduated 70 Practicum Year Occupational Medicine Residents to address the critical national need for occupational physicians, 8 residents are currently in training. A NIOSH Training Grant has helped support the program since July 1998. We have delivered practicum year training for physicians from other fields of medicine, making a mid-career shift to Occupational Medicine. The program structure is unique and successful: trainees may obtain supervised clinical training in qualified external practice locations, or at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Trainees obtain required professional competencies through five subject-area rotations with didactic education: resident before and after self-assessments of their level of competence; Certifying Examinations, demonstrate the program's success. For this renewal we additionally plan to take advantage of recent developments that have created a rich resource for research training and faculty development at the University of Pennsylvania to address the critical national need for physician researchers who have excellent skills both in occupational medicine practice and in research. Each year we will train one physician through an MPH degree, the subject area rotations, and supervised clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on research development. The objective will be to train these physicians to successfully compete for subsequent research career development opportunities. Our program is committed to the recruitment of underrepresented minorities into advanced practice and research training opportunities. ? ? Relevance. We will continue to train 8 physicians per year (40 over 5 years) to address the critical need for trained Occupational Medicine physicians who work in industry, government and clinical facilities to address Occupational Health issues important to the health of the workforce, including in underserved locations and populations. We will also train 1 physician per year (5 over 5 years) to meet the critical national need for physician researchers and academics with skills in occupational medicine practice and research, who are competitive for subsequent research training opportunities. At present graduation rates we are the largest civilian US Occupational Medicine residency graduating ~ 7 percent of the newly certified Occupational Physicians. ? ? ?
