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AMSA's Preventive Medicine Interest Group
"The "Preventive Medicine" moniker does not adequately capture the field, nor does "Public Health." Population Medicine might be a better term. But why should I try to describe to you the texture, moisture and taste of a pear? Bite into one yourself! Likewise... check out preventive medicine!"
~Stephen Haering, M.D.
WHAT IS PREVENTIVE MEDICINE?
Preventive Medicine (PM) is a board certified medical specialty concerned with the health of populations, where physicians are trained to examine the delivery of healthcare from a distinctive clinical and public health perspective. PM physicians thus have a unique niche and ability to impact healthcare on both the population-based and global level. They pursue careers in all spectrums of healthcare including health departments, academic institutions, state and national government, international or global institutions including the WHO, UN agencies or NGOs, government agencies like the CDC or NASA, organized medical care programs in industry, voluntary health agencies, and the military. Specific career paths include managed care, public health practice, occupational medicine, environmental medicine, aerospace medicine, clinical medicine, informatics, policy development, academic medicine, consulting, international medicine, and research.
Training: Training for preventive medicine generally requires 2 years in residency after a clinical internship or transitional year. Training includes earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree which is usually done in one of the two years. There are three specialty areas within preventive medicine: General Preventive Medicine & Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Aerospace Medicine. All Preventive Medicine programs teach the core competencies of biostatistics, epidemiology, management, administration, clinical preventive medicine, and occupational or environmental health. In addition, these programs generally, but not always, subsidize or fund the required Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree.
Applying: Refer to our “Opportunities” section below for a list of PM residency databases. Preventive Medicine is included in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
If this whets your appetite, please consider joining the AMSA Preventive Medicine Interest Group and keep reading below for ideas to learn much more about the field including general information, FAQs, non-traditional options and relevant links!
OPPORTUNITIES IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
Electives & Internships
General:
Complimentary & Alternative Medicine:
Global Health & Epidemiology:
Health Policy:
Public Health:
Residency Programs & Fellowships
General:
Occupational Health:
Health Policy:
Health Policy Internship Database
Population Health:
Conferences
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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PREVENTIVE MEDICINE LEADERSHIP
| THANK YOU for checking out this page and dedicating your life to worthy causes. Tell your friends about Preventive Medicine and spread the good word please! Whether or not you pursue the residency / fellowship, you should strongly consider doing an elective to get a better sense of healthcare at the Public Health level. |
"Preventive Medicine (PM) allows me to focus on greater systemic issues healthcare is facing today, while still seeing patients if I choose to."
"A PM fellowship allowed me to gain the necessary skills set to return to my clinical specialty and apply interventions that hopefully can be reproduced on a broader level."
"At the end of a clinical week, I have touched many, many lives and families; at the end of a preventive medicine/public health week, I have influenced the health of populations."
"By practicing PM, I feel I am able to work on the 'big picture' of a health issue and truly make a difference on a much larger level than I ever thought possible."
"The beauty of PM fellowships is that they not only provide you the MPH, but supplement it with opportunities to truly apply the skills in different settings."
"True, a PM fellowship is two years instead of one for an MPH, but I am also making a resident's salary, will be double board certified, and most importantly will be more qualified to impact my field!"
"I wish I had known simply what the field of PM was truly about. The field is relatively small, unknown, and usually misunderstood - even within the medical community."
"Why WOULDN'T a medical student consider this field? (Except that he or she is not aware of it)"
"The attitude and integrity of people who work in PM and/or Public Health are superb. They are mission and vision driven, have ideals of how the world should be, and are actively creating this world."
"Going straight into a PM residency was the best professional decision I've made yet. I'm quickly gaining the skills and experience necessary to effect real change in the health care system in the U.S. and abroad. My colleagues include people in public health, law, administration, business, marketing, politics, medicine, etc. The field of PM is endlessly diverse, challenging, and inspiring."
"My first ACPM Annual Meeting changed the course of my career. I met physicians unlike any I'd met in the hospital. PM docs are creative, ambitious, and socially engaged. Every doc I met had a different story, a different career trajectory, and a different way they were changing the world for the better."
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