147 CHALLENGES FACING TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN MENOUFIYA FACULTY OF MEDICINE AS A COMMUNITY ORIENTED SCHOOL

Abstract

Introduction: The department of Public Health and Community Medicine (PHCM) in Menoufiya Faculty of Medicine, Egypt serves over 400 undergraduate students and around 5 post graduate students yearly. The department also provides teaching courses to Ministry of Health and Population, Faculty of Nursing, Institute of Nursing, School of Nursing, Faculty of Education as well as Environmental Research Institute. Aim of the work: Studying the challenges facing teaching Occupational and Environmental Health in Menoufiya Faculty of Medicine, Egypt as a community oriented school. Material and Methods: Teaching Occupational and Environmental health is divided into: teaching under graduate students and teaching post graduate students. The researchers tried to touch some challenges facing teaching Occupational and Environmental health in a practical way in depth. Results: Challenges facing teaching Occupational and Environmental Health are divided into: Logistic challenges; like inadequate infrastructure efficiency from the stands, internet access and library services, absence of an outpatient clinic or inpatient ward for occupational and environmental health for student training and shortage of financial support to purchased modern occupational health teaching resources and aids. Organizational challenges; like shortage in the number of qualified staff, assistant staff members and lab technicians in relation to the steady increase in the number of students, limited curriculum time for teaching Occupational and Environmental Health, lacking of student interest, unavailable weekly transportation for the occupational field study and inability of the student to evaluate staff member performance in teaching. Conclusion and Recommendations: It was obvious that Occupational and Environmental Health teaching in Menoufiya Faculty of Medicine, Egypt faces a lot of challenges. Although there are challenges but a solution of every challenge can help in achievement of this branch more and more. Future survey research on the students of Menoufiya Faculty of Medicine, Egypt about Occupational and Environmental Health teaching may help in overcoming these challenges. .