[An integrated program of occupational medicine: a proposal for medical schools in Brazil]

The article is animated essentially by a conviction of the feasibility and necessity of acting to improve the health of workers by making the most of the opportunities and instruments offered by the medical sciences. Following an account of the present status of occupational health/occupational medicine in Brazil, a description is given of the areas in which action could be taken in these fields in Brazil today, and the priorities in the areas of instruction, research and community services are identified, which are the proper province of the medical schools. The article then states the characteristics and policies of a Comprehensive Occupational Medicine Program as a practical alternative for new programs. This program should not necessarily become a new discipline or department in the medical school, but be conceived, implemented and administered as a system, that is, as an inter- or multidisciplinary network, and should hence have an advisory committee representing the departments in the school that participate in the program. To facilitate the establishment of this network, the article proposes setting up a central unit for the program and enumerates the functions it should have. Finally, a number of strategies for implementation of the program are proposed and some activities identified that could be set in motion in the short term.