Preventive Medicine Physicians
Preventive Medicine Physicians is the O*NET name for people who apply knowledge of general preventive medicine and public health issues to promote health care to groups or individuals, and aid in the prevention or reduction of risk of disease, injury, disability, or death. The strongest interest signal is Investigative (6.7 of 7), then Social (5.4) and Conventional, which gives it the code ISC. The preparation level is extensive preparation, typically graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. O*NET’s skill data points to reading comprehension, speaking, and judgment and decision making as the ones to build. A regular part of the work is to direct or manage prevention programs in specialty areas such as aerospace, occupational, infectious disease, and environmental medicine. People who want research, analysis and working through hard problems usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
Apply knowledge of general preventive medicine and public health issues to promote health care to groups or individuals, and aid in the prevention or reduction of risk of disease, injury, disability, or death. May practice population-based medicine or diagnose and treat patients in the context of clinical health promotion and disease prevention.
Main tasks
- Direct or manage prevention programs in specialty areas such as aerospace, occupational, infectious disease, and environmental medicine.
- Document or review comprehensive patients' histories with an emphasis on occupation or environmental risks.
- Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries.
- Perform epidemiological investigations of acute and chronic diseases.
- Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members.
- Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Listening
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.9 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ISC takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Post-Doctoral Training. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Occupational Medicine Physician
- Occupational Physician
- Physician
- Preventive Medicine Physician
- Primary Clinician
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.