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REHS Trainee Resources

Taking an Exam

Click on "Sign In" at the top right of the screen, to the right of "Oregon Environmental Health Association" and under "Professional Development".

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If you are an OEHA Member and are signing in for the first time, you will then click on "New to this site? Sign Up". You will be prompted to enter your preferred email address and create a new, individualized password for your member account.

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This will generate a request to become a Site Member, which our webmaster will approve (pending an active OEHA Membership.)

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Once approved, you'll access the Members-Only Page by clicking on the carat or v-symbol to the right of your name, in the area where "Sign In" is located. (It looks like this: "v") Then on the expanded menu, you will see a page called "REHS Trainee Study Group Page".

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Under this expanded menu, you can also find a list of active OEHA Members in your region of Oregon, which is a helpful resource for connecting with other EH Professionals in your area.

Looking for the

Members-Only Trainee Page?

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Welcome! You have found your way to the Oregon Environmental Health Association (OEHA) Registered Environmental Health Association (REHS) Trainee Informational Page. On this page, you can explore resources that are helpful in preparing and studying for the REHS Exam. 

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Did you know that the Oregon Environmental Health Association is partnering with Deschutes County Environmental Health to offer a REHS Trainee Study Group? Trainees from across the state of Oregon meet virtually nearly every Friday to hear speakers, network with other Trainees, and review study questions. The Study Group also offers various resources that are helpful in studying for the exam.

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In order to participate in the OEHA REHS Trainee Study Group, please join OEHA as a free Trainee Member. Your membership will allow you to attend weekly Teams study sessions, connect with other EH Trainees, engage in Q&A with experts on various EH topics, participate in guided six-month study curriculums, and much more. Your OEHA Trainee membership will also allow you to have access to the members-only REHS Trainee Study Group webpage, where the syllabus, virtual meeting link, and other key resources are posted. Finally, as a OEHA Trainee member, you will be invited to attend the OEHA Annual Education Conference (AEC) with a discounted registration fee and participate in Regional events to network with EH professionals in your area.

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After joining OEHA, please simply send a note to us on the Contact page to let us know that you would like to join the OEHA REHS Trainee Study Group. Study Groups run January to June and July to December. Trainees can join at any time during the six-month Study Group period.

 

Why join OEHA as a Trainee?

Environmental Scientist

Preparing for the REHS Exam involves studying texts, but also so much more! Gain a comprehensive understanding of EH topics through these recommended texts, then bring the material to life and experience environmental health topics in-person and hands-on through the following activities:

Books and Texts

There are many texts that will help you to prepare for the REHS Exam.
We recommend starting with these five:

The three volume “Environmental Engineering, Sixth Edition” set by Nemerow, Agardy, Sullivan and Salvato, which includes:

And the additional two texts:

Some popular science books we recommend:

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Find more popular science books about Environmental Health and see which books we're reading on the OEHA Book Club webpage, and consider dropping in on the Book Club for one of our monthly discussions. We meet on Teams around lunchtime on the second Tuesday of each month!
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Videos

  • The Invisible Shield: PBS Documentary. Explore how public health has increased life spans and saved countless lives from disease, but underfunding, disinformation, and skepticism of science and government place human health at risk.

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  • Poisoned: Netflix documentary. Based on the bestselling book “Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat” by Jeff Benedict. Through revealing interviews with experts and victims' families, this gripping documentary examines the problem of deadly foodborne illness in the US.

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  • Wild Wild Country: Netflix documentary on intentional food poisoning by the Rajneesh religious cult

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  • The Poison Squad: on Amazon Prime tells the story of government chemist Dr. Harvey Wiley, who laid the groundwork for U.S. consumer protection laws, and ultimately the creation of the FDA.​​

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  • Libby, Montana: Nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies in Montana — as iconic a representation of America's "purple mountain majesties" as one can find — lies the site of the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history. In the small town of Libby, many hundreds of people have been sickened from asbestos exposure. Produced by American Documentary.

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  • Radioactive: on Amazon Prime tells about Marie Curie and her Nobel Prize-winning studies of radiation. 

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  • The Great Fever: This one-hour PBS Documentary documents the groundbreaking research of doctors from different nations put their own lives on the line to eradicate yellow fever. "A dramatic tale of human persistence, dedication and sacrifice"

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Helpful Websites

National Environmental Health Association: Review these study references that are recommended to assist candidates in preparing for the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential exam.

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International Outbreak Museum: The International Outbreak Museum began in the office of Dr. Bill Keene in his early years investigating infectious disease outbreaks at the Oregon state health department.

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Marler Clark’s Food Safety Law Firm has been the nation's leading firm in foodborne illness outbreaks for the last 29 years. Their website contains disease profiles and blogs (on bottom of main page) www.marlerclark.com

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Food Safety News is a daily news source for information about food recalls, foodborne illness outbreaks, food science, technology, food policy and more. www.foodsafetynews.com

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American Mosquito Control Association: contains information and education leading to the enhancement of public health and quality of life through the suppression of mosquitoes.

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Pool and Hot Tub Alliance: has education, advocacy, standards development and research related to pool and spa operation and safety.

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CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH): plans, directs, and coordinates a program to protect the American people from environmental hazards. 

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Suggested Tours
 

Organize these on your own or with your OEHA Regional Representative. We’re here to help!

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  • Drinking Water Treatment Facility

  • Wastewater Treatment Facility

  • Pool Chemical and Pump Room

  • Solid Waste Landfill

  • Recycling Facility

  • Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (located in Hillsboro)

  • International Outbreak Museum (located in Portland)

  • Oregon State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (located in Corvallis)

  • Drinking Water Well Drilling

  • Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) 

  • Drinking Water System Survey

  • Installation of Septic System

  • Vector control facility (fogging trucks, helicopters, sampling program for larvae, insect ID lab)

  • Routine inspections of food facilities, septic systems, childcare facility, school, hotel, pool, etc.

  • Shadow an outbreak investigation with your Environmental Health team and the Communicable Disease team in your local health department.

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If possible, attend several of each of these. (For example, water treatment facilities with different disinfection systems, pools with different types of disinfection and filtration systems, septic systems installed in different types of soil, etc.)

Want more even more resources to help you pass your exam? 
Join OEHA as a Trainee and connect with us today!
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