The University of Connecticut's Occupational Medicine Residency Training Program was established in the fall of 1993 in response to recognized national needs for training in the field of worker health as well as in the broader area of environmental effects on the health of the population. This innovative model for training in Occupational and Environmental Medicine represents a linkage between multiple stakeholders in the government, labor, corporate, and research communities, and seeks not only to train physicians for practice within these disparate communities, but also to enhance training and expertise in population medicine and public health in the Medical Center, the University, and the state.

The residency program focuses on investigative skills, both clinical and population-based, that assist in evaluating cases of work- or environmentally-related illness and their underlying causes, while placing a premium on the development of preventive measures that control and reduce new disease. Residents have taken the lead on investigations of large outbreak of lung disease occurring in such diverse places as a metal machining plant, and a large state office building; their work has lead to national recognition in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at professional society meetings.

Most importantly, the training program has proven uniquely flexible and responsive to the new and substantial challenges to the public's health following the events of September 2001. Rapid development and promotion of training modules targeted to recognition of potential terrorist use of biological, chemical, and radiation hazards, and guidance in the public health response has been one result of the expertise developed in this program; a more visible effort has been resident involvement in the effort to vaccinate first responders against the threat of smallpox.

Physicians in this training function on the front lines of response to protect the health of the public, and present the visible face of the Health Center's capabilities in the area of risk assessment and risk communication. It is a unique and innovative model for medical training, with few comparable programs in the U.S.

The two-year program is certified by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and meets all requirements of the American Board of Preventive Medicine for certification in Occupational Medicine. Residents spend their academic year in the University of Connecticut Masters in Public Health Program along with clinical work in the Division, which includes occupational medicine consultations, evaluations of patients with work-related upper extremity disorders, and employee health services for the medical center.

During the practicum year, residents are engaged in a variety of outside projects, including rotations at General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Travelers' Insurance, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The schedule provides the flexibility to meet individual needs in clinical, public health, and research training.