Occupational health crossing borders - part 1: concept, teaching methods, and user evaluation of the first international summer school in Munich, Germany.

BACKGROUND: Occupational health and safety (OHS) is relevant for occupational health professionals (OHP) throughout the world. However, training opportunities are often limited and exchange between OHP from industrialized and developing countries is sparse. We aimed to contribute to the international exchange of OHP through a 2-week summer school program.
METHODS: Twenty-three OHP from 11 countries participated. Teaching methods included interactive lectures, participants' presentations, case-based e-learning, enterprise visits, and hands-on sessions. After completion, participants evaluated the course.
RESULTS: OHS systems of 18 different countries were presented using the same set of clinical cases as a starting point. Opportunities and challenges in the different OHS systems were considered. On median, participants rated the course as excellent and totally agreed that it will help them in their daily work.
CONCLUSIONS: An international summer school teaching basic aspects of different OHS systems is a useful tool for training and exchange at the global level. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.