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ACOEM is proud to announce that occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) residencies and fellowships will participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for the upcoming residency application cycle. As of today, 17 programs are taking part.
This significant step was decided during the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Directors Association’s (OEMRDA) annual meeting at the American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC) 2024 in Orlando, Florida.
OEMRDA has been discussing NRMP participation for several years, and the decision to participate in the Main Residency Match marks a historic moment – by joining the NRMP, ACOEM aims to streamline the matching process for both applicants and residency programs. This will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of placing future OEM specialists.
“This partnership will be a lightning rod for us,” said Dr. Paul Ogden, Program Director of OEM Residency and Fellowship at the Colorado School of Public Health. “This will improve the availability and appeal of occupational and environmental medicine across the country.”
This initiative is expected to significantly enhance the visibility of occupational and environmental medicine as a specialty, attracting a diverse pool of high-caliber applicants. By using the NRMP’s advanced algorithm, OEMRDA will transition from its earlier, manual matching process to a more structured and equitable system, ensuring better outcomes for both applicants and residency programs.
“Joining the NRMP is a crucial step forward for our specialty,” said Dr. William ‘Brett’ Perkison, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health. “We can provide students with a definitive pathway forward for them to pursue OEM. We can also more easily recruit residents who might not match in other specialties in the general match. Many aspects of OEM including an emphasis on prevention and an emphasis on work-life balance resonate highly with the next generation of public health leaders.”
The NRMP's Main Residency Match provides a robust and transparent platform for matching residents with programs, fostering the growth of OEM. This move aligns with ACOEM's commitment to advancing the specialty and supporting the development of the next generation of leaders in occupational and environmental health.
ACOEM looks forward to collaborating with NRMP and engaging with prospective applicants through this enhanced matching process. More details and guidance for applicants will be provided in the coming months as ACOEM and OEMRDA work closely with NRMP to implement this new initiative.
“OEM is traditionally known as a mid-career change specialty but with NRMP participation, we will reach out to about 50,000 new medical graduates and residents, our next generation of occupational medicine physicians,” said Dr. Sajjad Savul, current chair of OEMRDA.
About NRMP
The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) is a private, non-profit organization providing an organized and fair mechanism for matching the preferences of applicants for U.S. residency positions with the preferences of residency program directors. The NRMP matches thousands of applicants annually to residency and fellowship programs, ensuring quality training for future leaders in medicine.