Skip navigation

Preventive Medicine Physicians

Also called: Medical Director, Public Health Director, Occupational Medicine Physician, Public Health Officer

Where in the military? In the military: see titles from the Air Force, Army, or Navy.

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.
On the job, you would:
  • Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members.
  • Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries.
  • Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks.

Knowledge

Health
  • medicine and dentistry
  • therapy and counseling
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Math and Science
  • biology
  • psychology
Safety and Government
  • law and government

Skills

Basic Skills
  • reading work related information
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Abilities

Ideas and Logic
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen
Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time
Visual Understanding
  • see hidden patterns

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Leadership
  • Concern for Others
  • Cooperation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software
  • SAS software
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
Data base user interface and query software
  • Database software
  • Tidepool Scientific Software Comprehensive Environmental Toxicity Information System CETIS
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
doctoral/professional degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Find Certifications

Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Check out my state Find Jobs

Explore More

You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about preventive medicine physicians.