CAQ: Occupational Medicine

Current Occ Med Basic Course Offerings

About the Certificate of Added Qualification in Occupational & Environmental Medicine 

The Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Occupational & Environmental Medicine represents credentialing in the field of medicine. The CAQ is approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) through established criteria and a written exam administered by the American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine (AOBPM). The Certificate is good for 10 years, after which the certificate holder must retake the remotely proctored exam, which is currently 2 hours of approximately 100 multiple-choice items. 

Eligibility

To be eligible to earn a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Occupational Medicine, candidates must meet the criteria below:

• Maintain AOA board certification through any AOA-approved primary specialty board.
• Be a graduate of a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine or an LCME-accredited medical school in the U.S. or Canada.
• Satisfactorily complete a one-year internship/residency in an AOA-approved training program.
• Satisfactorily complete at least 100 hours of AOA-approved CME within the last five years. Minimum of 50 hours must be AOA Category 1-A in Occupational or Environmental Medicine.
  • Successful completion of the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine’s Occupational Medicine Basic Course.
  • Additional accepted specialty training courses include occupational or environmental review courses through the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), an MRO (medical review officer) or the DOT (Department of Transportation).
• Hold an unrestricted license to practice in a U.S. state or territory.
• Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.

Preparing for the CAQ

To prepare for the CAQ examination, it is recommended that in addition to completing a Basic Course in Occupational Medicine, the applicant contact the AOBPM for a list of study materials. 

Also, AOCOPM offers a downloadable Basic Course Review Primer.

2026 CAQ Exam Date

Occupational Medicine CAQ (Certificate of Added Qualification) Exam
Exam date: Oct. 16, 2026

Apply Now for the CAQ in Occ Med

Details: Eligible physicians must hold an active board certification from any AOA certifying board and be participating in osteopathic continuous certification (OCC) through that board. The CAQ is an added qualification to one’s board certification and requires passing an online multiple-choice exam every 10 years. The CAQ is not a board certification on its own. To renew, physicians must participate in the written exam six months before their expiration date.  Both initial CAQ applicants and recertifying CAQ holders sign up for this exam.

For more information and eligibility requirements for a CAQ:  certification.osteopathic.org/preventive-medicine/certification-process/occupational-medicine

or full board certification: Primary Certification in Occupational/Environmental Medicine - American Osteopathic Board of Preventive Medicine

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