In 1987, the Department of Industrial Hygiene was founded in the College of Medicine, Cheng Kung University, responsible for teaching and research in occupational safety and hygiene. In 1990, the Occupational Disease Clinic was set up under the Department of Internal Medicine at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital for diagnosing and treating occupational diseases. From 1991, with the support from the Department of Health, the University integrated related resources to establish the Occupational Diseases Prevention Center, with the mission of preventing occupational diseases in Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan areas. In 1995, the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health was created in the College of Medicine. It offers both academic and practicum programs to equip medical doctors with knowledge and practical experiences in occupational medicine. In 2001, as instructed by the Department of Health, the College of Medicine established the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine under the Department of Medicine, with the aim to improve the lack of a complete occupational diseases prevention system and the deficiency of occupational specialists, which have been threats to labors’ lives and properties for a long time. One of the purposes of establishing this Department is to educate medical students in the filed of occupational medicine and its related fields. In August 2005, the Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine was founded in the National Cheng Kung University Hospital to cultivate physicians with related knowledge and concepts to become occupational specialists, and to train interns and clerks. The establishment of our department was based on our long-term dedication for occupational safety and health, and it satisfies the urgent needs from national policy making and social welfare. History