P-059 Undergraduate Occupational Medicine Teaching and Training at European Medical Schools. Quo Vadis?

Abstract Introduction General practitioners play or should play a role in Occupational Medicine (OM), be it in the detection of occupational diseases or in counseling for return to work, etc. This is one of the various reasons why undergraduate training in OM is nowadays considered essential. Aim To investigate the reality of undergraduate OM training in European medical schools and to determine whether it is sufficient in terms of content, extent, and objectives. Methods Between 1 March and 1 August 2022, an email questionnaire survey was undertaken on OM teaching in medical schools in 19 EU countries (all represented in EASOM or European Association of Schools of Occupational Medicine) and some Eastern European nations. Results 60 medical schools from 21 European countries, representing almost 45,000 undergraduate students, returned the completed questionnaire. The results showed great variability between and within European countries in terms of OM undergraduate training in medical schools. Differences were identified in terms of hours devoted to training, topics, whether it is compulsory or voluntary, among other aspects. OM training in European medical schools need improvement also within EU countries’ medical schools. Discussion Despite EU regulations on the free movement of workers in Europe, there is a lack of harmonization between EU countries, with very different levels of undergraduate training in OM in different medical schools, also within individual countries. Conclusions The results obtained justify a debate on the competencies that every doctor should have in OM and the definition of a core curriculum for undergraduate training in Occupational Medicine in Europe.