In 1947, the Department of Environmental Health, within the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine, created an Occupational Medicine Training Program. The program was in response to a growing need for trained physicians in Occupational Medicine. It is presently the oldest continuously running program in the Unites States, with about 200 graduates to date. The University of Cincinnati has trained several times that number of students, residents, and practicing physicians as part of the undergraduate medical curriculum, various rotations for visiting physicians, and through continuing education programs.

The Department of Environmental Health houses the Kettering Laboratory, established nearly 75 years ago to conduct biomedical studies of environmental health problems. The Department has close ties with the new Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, which focuses on Molecular Genetics, including the human genome project sponsored by the NIH. The diverse scientific and educational interests of the Department are largely in response to the need to understand the nature of occupational and environmental hazards, probe their biological and economic impact, and to develop methods of prevention, control, and treatment. The Department of Environmental Health is a designated research center for Environmental Health Science and is sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Besides the occupational medicine residency program, the department offers masters and doctoral degree programs in environmental health, industrial hygiene, toxicology, epidemiology, and biostatistics.

The program is one of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sponsored Education and Research Centers (ERC) in the country. The components of the University’s ERC includes - occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and continuing education. The residency program provides a unique approach to occupational medicine training through its curriculum configuration, breadth of experiences offered, and its depth of faculty support. Traditional programs require one year of didactic training in "preventive medicine" culminating in a Masters of Public Health (MPH degree or equivalent degree). This is followed by one year of clinical work in either patient care or field study. This program affords the resident the opportunity to integrate the clinical and the academic experiences throughout the two years of training.  This program leads to a Master of Science (MS) degree upon the completion of a required thesis project. All requirements for occupational medicine board eligibility as set by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and the American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine (AOBPM) are met.  The program is accredited through the ACGME.

There are several training options available to residents within the occupational medicine residency program:

1. The Traditional 2-year Training Program - The resident’s training is divided between classroom academics, master’s thesis work, practicum experiences (industrial days), and clinical training. All academic and residency training requirements for board eligibility are fulfilled. The goal of this track is to provide traditional training in the field of Occupational Medicine.
2. The Research 3-year Option - Along with the completion of the traditional 2-year track, an additional postgraduate year offers experience in occupational health clinical research. The goal of this track is to provide training and research experience for residents who wish to pursue an academic career.
3. The Practicum Only Year - This track is generally for those already possessing an MPH or equivalent degree.  It provides academic and clinical training necessary to fulfill board eligibility requirements, usually in one or significantly less than two years.
4. Co-Sponsored Options - Both the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Proctor & Gamble Co. co-sponsored residency positions may be available, and these applications must be arranged through the Residency Director.  With the NIOSH track, during their residency, the resident works half-time assigned to the medical section of the Health Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance branch (HETAB) where they actively participate in ongoing HHEs or the Medical Surveillance section of NIOSH.  The Proctor & Gamble Co. program is also a half-time experience, providing the resident with valuable experience in corporate occupational medicine unique to this program.

Physicians interested in the University of Cincinnati’s Occupational Medicine Training Program, who have graduated from an approved medical school and completed an ACGME approved internship and/or a residency in a relevant field for at least one year, are invited to submit an application package. The package can be requested by contacting Connie Thrasher.  This package consists of 3 letters of recommendation, a personal goal statement, a reference letter from the applicant’s medical school’s dean, transcripts of all course work, a completed University Department application, and a curriculum vita. All applications are initially reviewed by the program director. Selected applicants will be offered an interview with at least 3 faculty members and current residents. Generally, 6 full time positions are available in the  training program. Part-time positions are also available.

General requirements for a Masters Degree in Environmental Health are available online.  In addition, the U.C. Graduate Student Handbook is updated yearly and can be downloaded from the UC Graduate student website.  All full-time residents take academic credits each quarter and must take 15 or more credits in the fall quarter each year. These credits are allocated between required and elective academic courses, required and elective clinical rotations, master’s thesis work, and practicum experiences (industrial days). A minimum of 4 months (80 days) of practicum industrial days and completion of required academic courses and clinical experience, and a master’s thesis is required for completion of the residency (unless an equivalent master's degree was obtained prior to admission).  Residents can take a maximum of 17 credits of Master’s Thesis Research over the residency. It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure all the formal requirements as established by either the department or divisional faculty are met.

Some of the most importation requirements for graduation, as outlined in the U.C. Graduate Handbook are: 1)  the resident must maintain a "B" average, 2) with at least 2/3rds of the minimum graduate credits necessary for the degree at a level of "B" or higher, 3) All "I" and "NG" grades must be removed from the records prior to graduation, 4) A resident must be a candidate for at least one quarter before the degree is granted and 5) the resident must complete all requirements within 7 years after admission to candidacy (following admission into the program).  Finally, letter grades range from A-F, and graduation with an F grade is permitted only with departmental approval or by retaking the course and receiving a grade of C or better.  Also, Academic Misconduct is defined and policies and consequences are detailed on the web page: http://www.uc.edu/ucinfo/conduct.html.  Current tuition rates vary year to year, and they are significantly higher for Ohio non-residents. 

All graduate students who expect to receive a degree at any of the 4 quarterly university commencements must make a formal application for their degrees. As a rule, applications should be made early in the quarter (first 14 days) in which the degree is to be conferred. Forms are available in the department's graduate studies office. At least 10 days before commencement (end of quarter), the following items must be in the graduate studies office:

1. Completed College and Departmental Requirements for Graduation Form checklist.
2. (If applicable) Two copies of the completed thesis on acid-free paper with proper margins.
3. (If applicable) Two originally signed copies of the dissertation approval forms.
4. (If applicable) Cashier’s receipt for approximately $13.00 ($6.50 per copy - thesis binding fee) paid at the cashier’s office in Beecher Hall on the main campus.
5. Completion of all Departmental and Divisional graduation requirements.
6. Removal of all "NG" and "I" grades from the transcript.
7. Occupational Medicine Summary Form

Residents are reminded that it is their responsibility to complete these requirements no later than the dates specified by the graduate school. If any applicable requirements are omitted, conferral of the degree will be postponed to a later commencement. This is particularly important for residents who intend to sit for the Occupational Medicine boards in the year that they graduate.

Other than practicum year-only residents, all occupational medicine residents are required to complete a master’s thesis. The Graduate Studies Office (Address:  Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 670056' Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, Phone:  513-558-5704)  provides detailed information concerning the form of the thesis and the mechanics of preparing the final draft and abstract. This process involves approval of the thesis proposal (statement of intent) and appointment of a thesis advisory committee by the Department’s Degrees Committee. The residency program also appoints a research advisor for each resident.  The residency program has regularly scheduled resident research conferences. The thesis can be submitted electronically or on paper.

As soon as possible after starting the program, each resident should submit a statement of intent to the Degrees Committee. The committee meets several times per year. The statement should be a brief, 2-5 page description of the proposed thesis outlining its background, objectives, content and/or procedures and significance. It should indicate that the work will demonstrate the resident’s powers of critical evaluation. The Degrees Committee may prepare comments on the statement or return it with a request for modifications or more information prior to approval.

The resident submits the names of the faculty members who have agreed to serve on their Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)  to the Degree Committee for their consideration.  The Degrees Committee will appoint a TAC according to the rules of the graduate school. The TAC consists of at least two full-time faculty members with professorial rank, at least one of whom is a member of the University Wide Graduate Faculty. A list of current members of the graduate faculty is kept in the graduate studies office. The resident’s faculty advisor will act as chairperson and convene the TAC. This committee will make the final judgment on acceptability of the thesis, either by  unanimous vote (for 2 member committees) or no more than one dissenting vote (for committees with more than 2 members).

Generally the thesis involves a literature review, development of a protocol, conduct of the study, and analysis of the results.  Upon approval of the committee and completion of divisional requirements, the resident can apply to the university for a Master of Science degree as outlined previously.

Completed thesis copies are maintained in the University library system for reference purposes. More information can be obtained from faculty, second year residents or the graduate studies office. A maximum of 17 of the required 120 graduate credits can be registered for under master’s thesis research over the 2 year training period per Departmental policy.

Return to the Online OM Residency Handbook