An international meeting in Bled aimed to an exchange of experiences of Occupational Medicine medical specialists and researchers.
An occasion to emphasize the relevance of the European Exam in Occupational Medicine, and further promote the participation
The International Meeting “OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE CHALLENGES IN THE DIGITAL AGE”, with participants from several European Countries, was held in Bled from April 11 to 13, 2025. The meeting was part of the European Campaign “Healthy Work Environment 2023 – 2025: Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age”, under the patronage and sponsorship of the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, and within the framework of the Slovenian Association in Occupational Medicine.
UEMS Occupational Medicine leaders were strongly involved in the meeting – one of the Section’s founders, its first secretary and the second president in line Prof. Ewan Macdonald, and the current president of the Section Prof. Fabriziomaria Gobba attended the meeting which was prepared, organized and moderated by Assoc. Prof. Alenka Škerjanc, the former president of the UEMS Occupational Medicine Section. The meeting was aimed to foster an active and constructive exchange of experiences among Occupational Medicine academics, researchers, and medical specialists. A valuable contribution was made by young specialists who had taken part in the European Exam in Occupational Medicine.
The meeting featured an active and interesting mix of different activities. In fact, in the mornings to the participants was offered the possibility to visit notable working places in Slovenia, such as the innovative steel production plant Steelworks in Jesenice, the Laboratory for Gravitational Physiology in Planica, which operates under the European Space Agency, the historical mercury mine and smelter in Idrija (the second largest mercury mine in the world), and the Postojna Cave and Piran.
In the afternoon, at the Health Care Centre Bled, the activities continued with a series of lectures on the challenges of occupational medicine in the digital age. The overall result was an interesting and constructive exchange between experienced occupational medicine specialists, researchers, stakeholders, and young specialists who had participated, or were interested in participating, in the OM European Exam. The meeting featured contributions from several countries, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and the UK.
One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the reaffirmation of the crucial role of the UEMS Occupational Medicine Section, the importance of the European Exam in promoting high standards among occupational medicine specialists, and the need to build a strong, active network of occupational medicine professionals across Europe.
