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Preventive Medicine Physicians

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeHigh pressure

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $265,930 Median per year · $127.85/hr Most earn $69,170–$452,360

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks.
  • Coordinate or integrate the resources of health care institutions, social service agencies, public safety workers, or other organizations to improve community health.
  • Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries.
  • Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members.
  • Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries.
  • Prepare preventive health reports, including problem descriptions, analyses, alternative solutions, and recommendations.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 9,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of physicians42.1%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals27.8%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service10.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools5.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)3.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Preventive Medicine Physician is not an entry-level job. It usually takes about 11 to 14 years of school and training after high school, including medical school and residency. Most people spend the years before this job in a clinical residency and often earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) along the way.

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology, public health, or a related science

    4 years

    Build a strong science background and good grades, which medical schools look for, and take the entrance exam (MCAT) that most medical schools require.

  2. Medical degree (MD or DO)

    4 years

    Learn medicine through classes and hospital rotations, which gives you the clinical base that preventive medicine builds on.

  3. Family Medicine Physician (during residency)

    3 years

    Complete a residency in family medicine or internal medicine, where you care for patients of all ages and gain the 2 to 4 years of hands-on clinical experience this career typically needs.

  4. Preventive Medicine Physician

    About 2 years of preventive medicine training, often with an MPH

    Train in preventive medicine, focusing on population health, disease prevention, and health policy, and then work to protect and improve the health of groups and individuals.

Where it can lead

  1. Medical Director

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead health programs or clinical teams, which means more management, budget, and planning work and less direct patient care.

  2. Chief Medical Officer

    5+ years of experience first

    You set medical and health policy for a whole organization or health department, which takes proven leadership and a long record of results.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and statisticsThese classes build the science and data skills that medical school and public health work both rely on.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeYou will see how health care works up close and learn how to talk with patients and families.
  • Join a health or science clubClubs like HOSA (Future Health Professionals) or a science club give you teamwork, projects, and a chance to meet people in health careers.
  • Get a starter job or volunteer for a community health eventJobs like being a lifeguard, camp aide, or helping at a community health fair show you that you can work well with the public.
  • Read about public health topicsFollowing news about disease outbreaks, vaccines, or nutrition helps you understand the kinds of problems preventive medicine tackles.

In college

  • Major in biology, public health, or a related scienceA science major covers the prerequisites for medical school while public health courses introduce population health and prevention.
  • Take statistics and epidemiology coursesWorking with health data and understanding disease patterns are core skills for preventive medicine.
  • Intern with a local health department or nonprofit health groupA summer or part-time internship shows you how disease prevention programs run in real communities.
  • Work as a medical scribe, EMT, or clinic assistantHands-on patient care experience strengthens your medical school application and your understanding of clinical care.
  • Join a pre-health student organization or do researchPre-health groups and research projects with a professor show medical schools you are committed and can think critically.

Tips for getting started

  • Get real exposure to public health early, such as volunteering with a health department or community health group, so you know whether prevention work fits you.
  • Strong grades in biology, chemistry, and math make the path to medical school much easier, so focus on them from the start.
  • Talk with a doctor or public health worker about their day-to-day work. Ask what they like and what they find hardest.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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