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Occupational physician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an occupational physician. Occupational physicians usually study medicine, public health, or health care administration. 33% of occupational physicians hold a doctoral degree, and 22% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 45 real occupational physician resumes to see exactly what occupational physician education sections show.

The most common colleges for occupational physicians are the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

There are also many online occupational physician courses to help get the education required to be an occupational physician.

What education do you need to become an occupational physician?

What degree do you need to be an occupational physician?

The most common degree for occupational physicians is doctoral degree, with 33% of occupational physicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 22% and bachelor's degree degree at 19%.
  • Doctorate, 33%
  • Bachelor's, 22%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 19%

What should I major in to become an occupational physician?

You should major in medicine to become an occupational physician. 33% of occupational physicians major in medicine. Other common majors for an occupational physician include public health and health care administration.

Most common colleges for occupational physicians

Occupational physicians often get their degrees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, University of the Sciences, and Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Here are the most common colleges for occupational physicians in the US based on their resumes.
Occupational physician common collegePercentages
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor15.38%
University of the Sciences7.69%
Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences7.69%
Meharry Medical College7.69%
York College of Pennsylvania7.69%

Best majors for occupational physicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Medicine33.3%
2Public Health20.8%
3Health Care Administration8.3%
4Gerontology4.2%
5Psychology4.2%

Best colleges for occupational physicians

The best colleges for occupational physicians are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

An occupational physician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for occupational physicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become occupational physicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

7. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for occupational physicians

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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

2. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

3. Occupational Therapy Introduction - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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How to become occupational therapist, basic Psychology, Physiology & Anatomy, working with disabilities, children adults...

4. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

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Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

6. Case Studies in Personalized Medicine

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Learn how advances in biomedicine hold the potential to revolutionize drug development, drug treatments, and disease prevention: where are we now, and what does the future hold? This course will present short primers in genetics and mechanisms underlying variability in drug responses. A series of case studies will be used to illustrate principles of how genetics are being brought to bear on refining diagnoses and on personalizing treatment in rare and common diseases. The ethical and...

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8. Introduction to Longevity Medicine

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A Medical Guide to Longevity Medicine for Physicians...

9. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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10. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

11. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Advanced Diploma

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A complete program in one course, This Diploma is an Encyclopedia in The Natural Medicine field...

12. ISO 45001 - Occupational Health & Safety management system

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From zero to internal auditor: a complete course on the ISO 45001:2018 standard, with examples, quizzes and exercises...

13. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation

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Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...

14. Population Health: Governance

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How can we organise care in such a way that we optimize experience, quality and costs? What type of governance is needed? And how should healthcare organisations collaborate? These are central questions in this course. In answering them, we depart from a recognition of the impact of three crucial global shifts in health care governance: 1) the change in focus from cure to population health, 2) the increased attention to social determinants of health, and 3) the stronger involvement of...

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16. Doctor of Natural Medicine

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17. Population Health: Syndemics

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18. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers

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COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short course physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill. Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The...

19. Medical Terminology 101

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20. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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Top 10 most affordable universities for occupational physicians

The most affordable schools for occupational physicians are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for occupational physicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for occupational physicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for occupational physicians

The hardest universities for occupational physicians to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for occupational physicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for occupational physicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for occupational physicians

The easiest schools for occupational physicians to get into are D'Youville College, felician university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an occupational physician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for occupational physicians.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

9. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,172

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average occupational physician salary by education level

Occupational physician education levelOccupational physician salary
Doctorate Degree$220,807

Occupational physician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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