Letter to Prospective OM Applicants

Dear Prospective Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in our Occupational Medicine Residency Program.  We have a uniquely designed Occupational Medicine Residency Program that prepares our residents for assuming essentially any of the vast diversity of Occupational Medicine positions in the US.  We invite you to visit us and understand why we believe you will be convinced that this is in fact the nation’s leading Occupational Medicine Residency Program!

The rapidly expanding scope of occupational medicine and increasing demand for graduates of residency programs make our field a particularly attractive one. Our residency is part of the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, one of the nation’s 16 NIOSH-funded Education and Research Centers (ERCs).  All of our faculty share your enthusiasm for Occupational Medicine. 

The Rocky Mountain Center was established in 1977 as one of the nation’s original ERCs.  We have continuously maintained an accredited Occupational Medicine Residency (accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) since 1978. The residency is a two-year program with the first year (PGY-2) primarily academic and the second a practicum year (PGY-3) that is a combination of clinical, practical (field), academic and research experiences.

The academic phase includes coursework leading to a Master of Public Health. The MPH core courses include Environmental Health Problems, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Occupational Healthcare Administration, and Social Context of Public Health. Residents in occupational medicine also take courses in Occupational Injuries and Diseases, Toxicology, Industrial Hygiene, and Ergonomics.  The MPH degree requires 45 semester hours. Application to the Graduate School for the MPH degree should be submitted along with application to the Residency program. Applicants who have an MPH degree or equivalent may apply directly for the PGY-3 year.

During the practicum phase, residents rotate at highly diverse sites to gain experiences in comprehensive occupational health and safety programs.  We work with our residents to individualize an educational plan that takes into account the resident’s prior experiences and future plans.  The practicum year is comprised of Occupational Medicine clinic rotations, other specialty rotations, industrial sites and population-based occupational health-related sites.  Sites for 2006-2007 include locations such as Workers Compensation Fund (SLC, UT), Hill Air Force Base (SLC, UT), Boeing (Seattle, Washington), Hanford Environmental Health Foundation (Richland, Washington), OSHA (Washington, DC), NIOSH (Cincinnati, Anchorage, Morgantown), state and public health agencies (e.g., Utah Industrial Commission, Utah State Dept of Health), and occupational medicine clinics. Rotations in other specialties are selected according to the resident's prior training. 

Residents also learn from numerous faculty with a broad array of backgrounds.  The Rocky Mountain Center faculty are qualified in Occupational Medicine, Industrial Hygiene, Safety, Ergonomics, Economics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and many other fields.  Faculty members of the numerous Departments, Colleges and Schools at the University of Utah provide training in other areas of the program.

Please submit your residency application and attachments as soon as possible. In compliance with the agreement among OM Program Directors, we do not offer positions prior to December 15 for the following year.  The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.  Reasonable prior notice is needed to arrange accommodations.

Please feel free to call at 801-581-3841 if you have any questions or need any additional information.  We appreciate your interest in our training program.


Sincerely,

Edward B. Holmes, MD, MPH
Director, Occupational Medicine Residency