Occupational and Environmental Complementary Pathway (OEM-CP) Program

Become board eligible, right from your practice.

Program overview


The Occupational and Environmental Medicine Complementary Pathway (OEM-CP) Program prepares practicing physicians to excel in the specialty of occupational and environmental medicine. This one-year, virtual, academically rigorous program empowers physicians to meet the academic requirements—without relocating or stepping away from clinical practice.

Designed to integrate seamlessly with a physician’s current work environment, the program delivers a comprehensive academic foundation and advanced clinical competencies through interactive online seminars, case-based discussions, and individualized faculty review of clinical case submissions. Participants build expertise in clinical OEM practice, regulatory and medicolegal frameworks, epidemiology, causation analysis, occupational exposures, and evidence-based decision-making.

Offered by the Centers for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health, one of the nation’s leading academic centers in occupational safety and health, this program provides a flexible, accessible, and practice-integrated pathway for physicians seeking to strengthen their OEM skills or pursue board eligibility.

Why Choose This Program?

  1. Training That Comes to You: Engage in high-quality OEM education from where you live and work—no relocation required.
  2. Pathway to Board Eligibility: Complete the ABPM Complementary Pathway academic requirements in just one year.
  3. Earn CME credits: Participating in this program qualifies you to receive CME credits.
  4. Designed for Practicing Physicians: Learn while continuing full-time clinical work, with structured expectations that protect a half-day per week for academic activities.
  5. Expert Faculty Mentorship: Receive individualized guidance from nationally recognized OEM educators with decades of teaching, residency leadership, and clinical experience.
  6. Comprehensive, Practice-Relevant Curriculum: Gain applied expertise in clinical OEM practice, occupational exposures, causation analysis, regulatory frameworks, epidemiology, and medicolegal principles.
  7. Professional Community & Networking: Join a cohort of physicians committed to advancing worker health, safety, and well-being.

Ready to Advance Your Career? Apply Today.

Join a community of clinicians shaping the future of worker health and safety.

Program Director & Assistant Directors

Lee Newman headshot

Lee Newman MD, MA

Distinguished Professor, Director (CHWE)
  • Center for Global Health
  • Center for Health, Work & Environment
  • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Department of Epidemiology

Email Address:[email protected]

Mailing Address:
  • CU Anschutz

Center for Health, Work & Environment

Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

Suite W3111

Aurora, CO 80045

Dr. Newman is a physician-scientist, public health practitioner, and educator. He is a distinguished university professor in the Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine at CU School of Medicine. He is the founding director of two national centers supported by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): the Center for Health, Work & Environment, and the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center. He co-founded Health Links™ and the ColoradoSPH Certificate in Total Worker Health®.,. Dr. Newman’s research program is largely supported by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, the CDC/ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, among other agencies and organizations.

He is recognized for his scientific and practical contributions to occupational health and safety, applying the concepts of Total Worker Health, and for his prevention efforts to mitigate the impact of heat, air pollutants, and working conditions in workplaces spanning the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America. In an academic career spanning four decades, he has contributed to our understanding of how heat stress and nephrotoxins contribute to acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, worker well-being and productivity. Other contributions include research on the mechanisms and prevention of occupational lung disorders, including transdisciplinary work in immunotoxicology, biomarker development, medical surveillance, and health informatics. He is known for pioneering work on the health effects, prevention, and treatment of dust-induced lung disorders, especially chronic beryllium disease and other granulomatous diseases such as sarcoidosis. He has authored over 260 scientific papers and over 150 books, chapters, and monographs.

Dr. Newman consults for government agencies, businesses, labor groups, and community organizations. An avid educator, Dr. Newman is a founding faculty member of the ColoradoSPH and continues to teach and mentor master’s and doctoral students and junior faculty members. His favorite role is as a mentor, second only to husband, father, and grandfather He is hopeful and, at times, irrationally optimistic.

Areas of Expertise

  • Interventions to mitigate the impact of heat stress on worker health and safety
  • Etiology and prevention of acute and chronic kidney disease in agricultural workers
  • Total Worker Health, especially applied to small enterprises and internationally
  • Prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses
  • Causes of occupational and environmental disorders
  • Immunotoxicology, especially immune effects of metals (beryllium)
  • Granulomatous lung disorders: Chronic beryllium disease and sarcoidosis
  • Biomarker development
  • Medical surveillance in the workplace
  • Health informatics in the healthcare industry

Education, Licensure & Certifications

  • Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado, 1987
  • Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine, Emory University, 1983 
  • MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 1980 
  • MA, Cornell University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Social Psychology), 1977 
  • BA, Amherst College, 1975

Awards

  • 2019 designation as a University of Colorado Distinguished Professor, the highest honor for faculty at CU
  • 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, University of Colorado, CU Anschutz
  • 2015 Diversity Award, CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Diversity Steering Council
  • 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, University of Colorado, CU Anschutz
  • 2011 Delta Omega, National Public Health Honorary Society, Alpha Upsilon Chapter
  • 2004 Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini
  • 2004 Fellow, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (FACOEM)
  • 1990 Fellow, American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP)

Curriculum and requirements


The curriculum is designed to advance physician knowledge in the broad field of occupational and environmental medicine.

Frequently asked questions


Faculty


University of Colorado

  • Paul Ogden, MD, MSPH; Director, University of Colorado Residency in Occupational & Environmental Medicine
  • Elizabeth Esty, MD, MPH; Clinical Instructor, University of Colorado Residency in Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency Program
  • Lee Newman, MD, MA; Distinguished Professor, Colorado School of Public Health; Director, Centers for Health, Work & Environment

 

Centers for Health, Work & Environment

Colorado School of Public Health

CU Anschutz

Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

Suite W3111

Mail Stop B119

Aurora, CO 80045


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