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Overview

The NIOSH Occupational Medicine Rotation Program was created to:

• Educate rotators on the variety of available resources that NIOSH offers
• Increase rotators' knowledge about the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) program to better understand how the program may help employers and employees
• Broaden rotators' scope of expertise in occupational safety and health

The 2-week virtual rotation is open to physicians currently in an American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited residency program. Participants will gain firsthand experience in the NIOSH HHE process or NIOSH's role in national public health responses. The rotation can help medical residents meet ACGME Preventive Medicine Milestones.

Rotation activities

During the 2-week rotation, rotators will:

• Complete a set of required modules that cover statistical applications in occupational health, respirator fit testing, and musculoskeletal disorders
• Complete additional modules of their choice on various occupational health related topics with an emphasis on how the NIOSH HHE program evaluates these issues
• Prepare a 45-minute presentation on a selected occupational medicine topic
• As scheduling permits:
  • Respond to a public inquiry under NIOSH medical officer supervision
  • Attend scheduled one-on-one meetings with NIOSH staff
  • Meet with project officers in different phases of a HHE including discussions with HHE requestors, development of questionnaires, etc.

In general, rotators are expected to be engaged in rotation activities for an 8-hour workday with a 30-minute break for lunch on Monday to Friday for the 2 consecutive weeks of their rotation. Exact timing of the workday will need to flexible due to potential time zone differences and staff schedules.

A site visit cannot be guaranteed during the 2-week rotation. Rotators are welcome to contact program directors to arrange to accompany NIOSH staff if a HHE site visit occurs in their area after completing the rotation.

Due to the short duration of the rotation, rotators will not be allowed any outside activities.

Eligibility

This rotation is offered to current medical residents or fellows in a U.S.-based, ACGME-accredited residency/fellowship program in any recognized specialty.

The following are NOT eligible to apply for this rotation:

• Medical students
• Residents in non-U.S. based programs
• Residents in U.S. based, ACGME-accredited program who are:
  • J-1 or H1B visa holders due to restrictions these visas have on remote work
  • Not physically located in the U.S. during the 2-week rotation.

How to apply

Application materials

To apply during open application periods, submit the following materials by email to [email protected].

• Applicant's basic contact information including email address and phone number
• Preferred three 2-week rotation blocks (during January–September) in ranked order. Each block must:
  • Start on a Monday of the first week and end on the Friday of the following week
  • Not include any
  • Not include any dates in October, November, or December
• Name of applicant's residency program and program director along with their direct email and phone number
• Statement of residency program director's approval in either .doc or .pdf file format, containing:
  • Affirmation that the applicant is/will be a resident in their program during the 2-week block the rotation is being requested.
  • Confirmation that the applicant has the program director's permission to complete the rotation in any of three 2-week blocks the applicant has listed as being their preferred times.
• Applicant's CV
• Applicant's statement of interest (300 word maximum)
  • This statement should address how the NIOSH Occupational Medicine Rotation will complement their previous training and experience in occupational medicine, and/or discuss how this rotation will help them achieve their career goals after residency.

Contact

Email: [email protected]

ACGME Preventive Medicine Milestones

The goals and elements of the NIOSH Occupational Medicine Rotation address the following milestones and core competencies.

American Council of Graduate Medical Education (2021) Milestones

• Medical Knowledge
• Practice-based Learning and Improvement
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Professionalism
• Toxicology
• Hazard Recognition and Management
• Regulatory

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Core Competencies for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) Physicians (2021)

• Clinical OEM
• OEM Related Law and Regulations
• Environmental Health
• Work Fitness and Disability
• Toxicology
• Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Control
• Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
• Health and Human Performance
• Public Health, Surveillance, and Disease Prevention
• OEM Related Management and Administration

Competencies designated by ACOEM as required for OEM Research and Education that may be enhanced during the NIOSH Occupational Medicine Rotation (2021)

Environmental health

• Characterize health risks based on hazard identification, exposure assessment, and effectively communicate risk from a variety of exposures.
• Identify common environmental contaminants indoors and outdoors and understand how to assess exposure to these contaminants

Toxicology

• Interpret and apply information from medical, toxicological, and environmental health literature.
• Effectively communicate risk, necessary actions, and reassurance to patients.

Hazard Recognition, Evaluation, and Control

• Recognize common occupational hazards and most appropriate exposure control measures based on the hierarchy of controls which may include personal protective equipment.
• Understand protective measures appropriate for the hazards of interest in the working populations served.
• Characterize existing and potential occupational and environmental hazards within defined populations.
• Evaluate and interpret the results of industrial hygiene surveys or risk assessments.
• Interpret and apply published exposure limits such as OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs), American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) threshold limit values (TLVs) and biologic exposure indices (BEIs), Environmental Protection Agency standards, and other criteria in the assessment of chemical and physical hazard exposures.

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management

• Design and/or conduct an outbreak and/or cluster investigation.

Public Health, Surveillance, and Disease Prevention

• Identify appropriate exposure controls which may include appropriate personal protective equipment, with industrial hygiene and safety, to mitigate hazards faced in the workplace.
• Recognize and report or investigate potential sentinel events.
• Review, interpret, and explain the public health and clinical implications of epidemiological studies that address occupational hazards.

OEM Research and Education

• Interpret and present technical and clinical data for a variety of audiences.
• Apply principles of adult learning.
• Handle oral presentations in a professional manner.
• Defend conclusions and recommendations, using appropriate data and logical reasoning.
• Evaluate learning outcomes.