All About Preventive Medicine Physicians
Preventive Medicine Physician Job Description 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.
Life As a Preventive Medicine Physician: What Do They Do?
- 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.
- Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks.
- Direct public health education programs dealing with topics such as preventable diseases, injuries, nutrition, food service sanitation, water supply safety, sewage and waste disposal, insect control, and immunizations.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed risk reduction measures or other interventions.
- Teach or train medical staff regarding preventive medicine issues.
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Things a Preventive Medicine Physician Should Know How to Do
Preventive Medicine Physicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles
- Regional Medical Director
- Environmental Health Physician
- Preventive Medicine Physician
- Preventive Medicine Officer
- Aerospace Medicine Physician
Job Opportunities for Preventive Medicine Physicians
In the United States, there were 372,400 jobs for Preventive Medicine Physician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 42,300 new jobs for Preventive Medicine Physician by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 14,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Preventive Medicine Physician are Arizona, Alaska, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Preventive Medicine Physicians Salary
Preventive Medicine Physicians make between $60,280 and $208,000 a year.

Preventive Medicine Physicians who work in Alaska, Arizona, or Colorado, make the highest salaries.
How much do Preventive Medicine Physicians make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $183,510 |
Alaska | $244,220 |
Arizona | $229,090 |
Arkansas | $165,290 |
California | $208,740 |
Colorado | $219,310 |
Connecticut | $221,870 |
Delaware | $216,600 |
District of Columbia | $182,910 |
Florida | $205,020 |
Georgia | $235,060 |
Hawaii | $228,470 |
Idaho | $241,670 |
Illinois | $183,780 |
Indiana | $237,470 |
Iowa | $219,300 |
Kansas | $191,430 |
Kentucky | $223,770 |
Louisiana | $183,920 |
Maine | $257,550 |
Maryland | $196,210 |
Massachusetts | $207,990 |
Michigan | $181,760 |
Minnesota | $245,040 |
Mississippi | $174,340 |
Missouri | $203,440 |
Montana | $247,260 |
Nebraska | $161,880 |
Nevada | $227,500 |
New Hampshire | $275,840 |
New Jersey | $208,820 |
New Mexico | $229,100 |
New York | $171,060 |
North Carolina | $198,040 |
North Dakota | $266,510 |
Ohio | $212,160 |
Oklahoma | $155,130 |
Oregon | $202,750 |
Pennsylvania | $195,810 |
Rhode Island | $209,580 |
South Carolina | $185,210 |
South Dakota | $227,710 |
Tennessee | $231,960 |
Texas | $199,370 |
Utah | $218,210 |
Vermont | $176,520 |
Virginia | $199,080 |
Washington | $239,080 |
West Virginia | $222,270 |
Wisconsin | $239,610 |
Wyoming | $234,610 |
What Tools do Preventive Medicine Physicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Preventive Medicine Physicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- Database software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- R
- Scheduling software
- StataCorp Stata
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Insightful S-PLUS
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- STATISTICA
- SAS JMP
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info
- Statistical Solutions BMDP
Becoming a Preventive Medicine Physician
Are there Preventive Medicine Physicians education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Preventive Medicine Physician?

Where do Preventive Medicine Physicians Work?

The table below shows the approximate number of Preventive Medicine Physicians employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Preventive Medicine Physician may also be interested in:
- Surgeons
- Forestry & Conservation Science Professors
- Chemistry Professors
- Biological Science Professors
Are you already one of the many Preventive Medicine Physician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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