Students have little exposure to this area of medicine and don't have the opportunity to consider it as a potential career choice. The challenge of occupationally related diseases Occupational illnesses may mimick other conditions and often present as common medical complaints such as asthma, lung cancer, atopic dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy, psychiatric disorders. The patient may not suspect an occupational relationship and the physician may not ask the right questions. At least a brief occupational history it important for each patient. An occupational or environmental etiology should also be considered when an unusual disease occurs in several patients who are all in a similar work or leisure environment.
Occupational factors are responsible for a significant amount of morbidity.
More than 10 percent of general medicine hospital admissions have an occupational etiology especially when the complaint is respiratory or musculoskeletal. Describe your typical daily job activities. Bone, Roger C., ed. McCunney, Robert J. ed. This site is a good start for all medical information for both physicians and consumers.