Increasing the awareness of occupational medicine in a medical center.

Abstract

Although Oklahoma is basically a state with an agricultural economy, it has demonstrated an accelerated industrialization that has superimposed a widened spectrum of manufacturing, trade, and service organizations onto its indigenous petroleum enterprises. In the years after World War II, an increase in industrial payrolls from $1,839,000,000 to $2,677,000,000 has been viewed, accompanied interestingly enough by a decrease in farm workers of about 23,000.1Paralleling this knowledge has been the recognition of the goal patterns of the graduates of the University of Oklahoma school of medicine. Within the past five years approximately 70% of the students completing the medical curriculum have established themselves in general practice in this state,2which in nearly all instances is native to them. Since it was keenly aware of these developments, the curriculum committee of the faculty felt that the university should recognize its responsibilities to both the community served by it and