08 FYi • Careers


HAZARDS F


OCCUPATIONAL


Occupational medicine promises a varied career with many opportunities both within the NHS and beyond


EW medical specialties offer the promise of an international career covering such varied interests as aviation and space, travel, radiation and diving. Occupational physicians can


work all over the world, in both the public and private sectors, in a specialty that covers the multi-faceted relationship between health and work. Occupational medicine (OM) specialises in the diagnosis, management and prevention of disease that is due to – or exacerbated by – workplace factors. It is concerned with all aspects of the effects of work on health and health on work.


It has an important part to play in


rehabilitating employees back into work after sickness or injury. Specialists will be called upon to provide high quality, objective, professional advice, sometimes in difficult situations, and with an awareness of the various agendas of government, employers, employees, trades unions and pensions trusts. And as issues of employment and fitness to


work become increasingly important in these economically straightened times, occupational medicine is moving up the political agenda and is likely to play a larger role in future government policy.


Entry and training Doctors interested in pursuing a career in this field can enter via a variety of routes. You can


complete either core medical training or the acute care common stem in acute medicine (ACCS) and enter OM training at ST3 levels. But there are other routes. Instead of undertaking core training in acute medicine, doctors may choose to start specialist training in a number of other disciplines, namely: general practice, psychiatry, public health and surgery. Post-foundation level training generally lasts six years: e.g. two years of core medical training (ST1, ST2) followed by four years of specialist OM training (ST3 to ST6). All specialist trainees must register with the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) and pass exams in the first (ST3) and final years of specialist training. More detailed information on the training pathway can be found on the faculty’s website at www.fom.ac.uk. The desirable personal qualities for OM


trainees include an ability to build rapport/ listen/persuade/negotiate, a capacity to take in the perspectives of others and to “see patients as people”. Doctors must also be able to work in multi-professional teams, supervise junior medical staff and show leadership. The Faculty also recommends doctors applying for specialist training demonstrate an interest in OM as well as showing evidence of achievement outside medicine including “altruistic behaviour” such as voluntary work. In addition, physicians must have knowledge


of employment and anti-discrimination legislation, as well as of environmental and


health and safety law. They must also have an understanding of epidemiology, disease prevention and toxicology.


In practice A typical day in occupational health practice can vary enormously depending on the role and setting. The FOM says specialists could find themselves working in settings such as an international company or in the NHS as a private provider. You could be advising on the health of oil rig workers or call centre staff or ambulance drivers. You will come across a huge range of physical and mental health problems and could, for example, be the first to identify the link between a hazard in a factory with an industrial disease. Often the work will involve a clinical


element: assessing individuals for capability, eligibility for ill-health retirement or other specific purpose. It will also likely involve monitoring people’s health in relation to the statutory duties to control risk at work. Occupational physicians assess the workplace and work activities, advising on control measures in liaison with other related specialists such as safety officers, occupational hygienists or ergonomists. There will almost always be a team to either manage or work with. In most organisations occupational physicians work with others to formulate policy and procedure in line with relevant health and safety legislation. Occupational physicians are often based in


the workplace, working normal office hours. Sometimes they can be based at a local centre where individuals will attend for assessment and there is often a certain amount of


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