Deep South Occupational Safety & Health Education & Research Center-Supplement

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Agriculture has been recognized as one of the most hazardous industries in the U.S. Hazards on farms contribute to excessive mortality, morbidity, and disability among the agricultural community, yet the safety and health needs of this segment of the population go largely unmet. To address the agricultural safety and health needs of the southeast U.S., the scope of the existing master's degree component of the Rural Medical Scholars Program (RSMP) at the University of Alabama will be expanded to include a focus on agricultural safety and health (RMSP-AG). The expanded program will integrate existing agromedicine components of the RMSP, including the Safe State OSHA Consultation Program at the University of Alabama and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, with the occupational safety and health educational programs of the Deep South ERC. The RMSP-AG will teach agricultural safety and health from a basic foundation of core public health courses, a basis in industrial hygiene and occupational safety and ergonomics with a strong emphasis on occupational safety and health interdisciplinary activities, and a specific focus throughout on agricultural safety and health. This curriculum will involve one-year (36 semester hours plus project) of master's study to prepare individuals with undergraduate and/or graduate science academic backgrounds to pursue successful careers in academia, research and private industry as agricultural occupational health and safety professionals. Inclusion of the RMSP-AG Program in the Deep South ERC will result in RMSP-AG students being exposed to and participating in interdisciplinary interaction with students in occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, and occupational safety and ergonomics, and in turn will supplement the training of all Deep South ERC students by providing them with opportunities to develop an awareness of the practice of agricultural and occupational medicine. It is anticipated that as many as 6 RMSP-AG graduates per year will become physicians, and approximately 4 trainees per year will utilize this master's specialization in agricultural safety and health to further their existing careers as community health nurses, human and environmental science scientists, agricultural engineers, and agriculture/extension specialists. The long term goal of this program will be to produce a body of physicians and agriculture safety and health specialists who will dedicate their careers to preventing injuries and disease in the rural community.