An AHP analysis of knowledge and skills necessary to become an occupational physician and required under- and post-graduate education and training system

Abstract

In order to clarify the knowledge and skills necessary to become occupational physicians and the required under- and post-graduate education and training system, an AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) analysis was conducted in colloboration with 10 occupational physicians who had graduated from UOEH. After classifying the contents of their work and the necessary knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill their duties by the KJ method, the AHP technique was employed in order to determine the relative importance of 5 education and training courses: 'Under-graduate general education', 'Under-graduate medical education', 'The fundamental occupational health course', 'Post-graduate clinical residency', and 'On the job training'. Regarding knowledge and skills to fulfill the duties of an occupational physician, those of 'Social medicine', 'Information science' and 'Clinical medicine', in this order, were regarded as important. For the contents of an Occupational physician's work, 'Medical surveillance of workers' and 'Environmental management of workplaces' were evaluated as important. For the educational setting in order to master the necessary knowledge and skills, 'On the job training' was regarded as the most important, and then 'The fundamental occupational health course', and 'Post-graduate clinical residency' followed in this order.