401 - Entering the Compensation and Pension Space: A Career Roadmap for Occupational and Environmental Medicine Physicians

Session Description: Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams represent a growing niche in occupational and environmental medicine, offering opportunities for physicians to expand their practice while supporting Veterans. Yet many clinicians lack clear information on how to enter the field or set up compliant workflows. This session provides a step-by-step roadmap to breaking into C&P work. Participants will compare three entry paths. direct VA employment, contractor roles, and independent practice, along with requirements, timelines, and quality benchmarks. The session will highlight how to establish documentation workflows, create quality-assurance loops, and build competency across high-volume body systems such as musculoskeletal and pulmonary. Attendees will complete a readiness self-assessment and leave with a personalized 60-day action plan. This session is ideal for early- and mid-career occupational medicine physicians seeking to diversify their professional portfolio with meaningful, well-structured C&P work.

Educational Gaps: Many physicians interested in Compensation and Pension work lack clear guidance on how to begin, what quality standards apply, and how to structure compliant workflows. This session fills that gap by outlining entry paths, documentation strategies, and a practical 60-day plan to help physicians confidently start C&P practice.

Is this session being sponsored by an ACOEM Section or Component?: No

Has this session previously been presented?: No

The AOHC 2026 theme is Healthy workers. Healthy world: This session supports the AOHC 2026 theme by strengthening the physician workforce in a practice area that directly improves health for workers, Veterans. Compensation & Pension exams provide the foundation for disability determinations, linking individuals to medical care, financial support, and long-term stability. Yet many OEM physicians lack clear guidance on how to begin this work or what standards define quality. By offering a practical roadmap, this session lowers barriers to entry and prepares more clinicians to deliver consistent, high-quality evaluations. Expanding the pool of trained examiners improves access, reduces bottlenecks, and ensures that service-related exposures are properly recognized. Attendees will leave with an understanding of entry paths, workflow design, and competency-building strategies, allowing them to integrate this work into their practice confidently. Preparing more OEM physicians to take part in C&P exams not only supports individual workers but also strengthens health systems, advancing the broader vision of healthy workers and a healthier world.