CONTEXT: In 2004, a proposal was introduced to restructure an executive Master's course in Occupational Medicine, with an increase in the practical course load. The School of Medicine at the São Paulo Mercy Hospital (São Paulo, Brazil) introduced the Monitored Internship Program to complement the basic 680 class hours. OBJECTIVES: The study's objectives were to describe the program and the course coordinator's perceptions of it and to analyze course alumni's current relationship to the occupational medicine specialty. MATERIAL AND METHODS: (a) Unstructured discussion among coordinators and an interview with partner companies; (b) Application of a questionnaire to 46 course graduates, discussing social and professional issues. RESULTS: The Monitored Internship Program has a 1,240 hour course load, participation is voluntary and based on double monitoring of the student's activities, with the submission of weekly reports for clinical discussion. The study detected increasing interest in the theoretical/practical course and a lack of programs for professional development in the internship sites. Among the sample, 67.3% were meeting a weekly workload of greater than 20 hours in occupational medicine. DISCUSSION: The program meets the established guidelines and appears to help retain course participants within the specialty. The study raises the issue of the inability of the work market in this specialty to provide sufficient sites for more solid practical training and recommends discussing the specialty's regulation.
Occupational Medicine; Specialization; Medical; Education; Graduate; Inservice training
