Workplace visits versus case studies in undergraduate occupational medicine teaching

To examine the effectiveness and acceptability of two active approaches in teaching occupational medicine to undergraduate medical students.

Two training formats were compared: in 2007, fourth year students were sent on a workplace visit, and the next-year group discussed real life case studies. Students' perceptions were obtained by assessment questionnaire.

In both the groups, all learning objectives were equally achieved with one exception. Awareness of risk factors and preventive measures was significantly higher in the group with workplace visits. However, students rated the case scenarios as more relevant.

Until now, many training methods have not been fully investigated. Our study demonstrates that depending on the interest, experiences, and resources of teachers, students, and universities, both worksite visits and case studies can be effectively applied in teaching occupational medicine.