title: Career paths in occupational medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe career path patterns for occupational medicine (OM) physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 129 occupational physicians described work activities and locations at several career points up to 20 years ago, first OM position, and 10 years after expectations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical activities were important throughout (eg, 41% and 46% of occupational physicians reported frequently treating patients 20 years ago and currently). Practice locations changed more markedly, with increased multisite clinics and hospital/medical center-based practices. Performing mainly clinical activities in a first job increased from 82% to 97% over the past 20 years. Career transitions between clinical and nonclinical roles were common (40% of participants). Many anticipate transition to nonclinical work over 10 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activities have not fundamentally changed, but practice locations have evolved. Both clinical and management activities remain important, and path to managerial positions increasingly begins in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Community, Environment, and Policy Division, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. pharber@email.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harber
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bontemps
authors.forename: Kaochoy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saechao
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yihang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elashoff
mesh_terms: D002321:Career Choice; D002322:Career Mobility; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D010819:Physician's Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace