Occupational Health and Clinical Training

A brief questionnaire assessing attitudes toward occupational health and knowledge of the area was administered to the following: medical students beginning medicine clerkships ("students," N = 66); interns beginning internship year in straight medicine, primary care internal medicine, or family practice ("interns," N = 94); and physicians finished with residency training in these fields ("clinicians," N = 22). Interns reported more hours of occupational health training during medical school than did students or clinicians (8.5 and 3.6 hours, respectively) although nearly one third of interns reported having none. Clinicians outperformed interns and students in some areas though they scored worse in others, and rated occupational health to be less important. Prior work experience did not affect performance; however, students from "blue collar" families scored higher in both knowledge and attitudes than those from "white collar" families. Women scored higher in both areas than did men. There was no correlation between number of hours of occupational medicine in school and performance, either overall or within each level. This cross-sectional study suggests that enthusiasm for occupational health declines with training and that knowledge gains are erratic. Emphasis on faculty training and clinical rotations may be required for undergraduate curriculum reform to be effective.