Occupation · SOC 29-1229.05
Preventive Medicine Physicians
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.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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—
Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
64 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningWritingMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationActive LearningSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisService OrientationScienceManagement of Personnel ResourcesLearning StrategiesInstructingPersuasionTime ManagementMathematicsNegotiationOperations AnalysisQuality Control AnalysisManagement of Financial ResourcesManagement of Material ResourcesTechnology DesignOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingProgrammingOperation and ControlRepairingInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryBiologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingPublic Safety and SecurityPsychologyLaw and GovernmentAdministration and ManagementTherapy and CounselingMathematicsPersonnel and Human ResourcesCustomer and Personal ServiceComputers and ElectronicsChemistrySociology and AnthropologyCommunications and MediaAdministrativeEconomics and AccountingTelecommunicationsEngineering and TechnologySales and MarketingGeographyTransportationProduction and ProcessingPhysicsPhilosophy and TheologyDesignMechanicalForeign LanguageBuilding and ConstructionFood ProductionHistory and ArcheologyFine Arts
Technology & tools
Biostatistical softwareCenters for Disease Control and Prevention Epi InfoDatabase softwareEmail softwareEpidemiological softwareInsightful S-PLUSMedical surveillance softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordNCSSNCSS Power Analysis and Sample Size PASSNetEpiOpenEpiPatient electronic medical record EMR softwareRSASSAS JMPSTATISTICAScheduling softwareStataCorp StataStatistical Solutions BMDPThe MathWorks MATLABTidepool Scientific Software Comprehensive Environmental Toxicity Information System CETISTidepool Scientific Software ToxCalcWeb browser softwareWolfram Research Mathematica
Representative tasks
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsGetting InformationAnalyzing Data or InformationProcessing InformationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsDeveloping and Building TeamsWorking with ComputersOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsTraining and Teaching OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesAssisting and Caring for OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersThinking CreativelyDocumenting/Recording InformationCoaching and Developing OthersJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleScheduling Work and ActivitiesStaffing Organizational UnitsSelling or Influencing OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesControlling Machines and ProcessesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient occupational and environmental histories — collect and document under attending physician supervision in a clinical or public health setting.Epidemiological investigation protocols — apply standard methodologies to assist in acute disease outbreak investigations under senior guidance.At-risk population identification — recognize and flag demographic or occupational groups with elevated disease or injury risk using established screening criteria.Surveillance data tools — operate electronic health record and database systems to extract and organize population health data under supervision.Preventive medicine literature — read and summarize peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines to support program planning in a residency or fellowship context.Public health education materials — assist in preparing and delivering presentations on preventable diseases and injury prevention to community audiences.Risk reduction interventions — evaluate pre-defined intervention protocols using structured checklists under direction of a program supervisor.Analytical software — use epidemiological and statistical software packages to conduct basic descriptive analyses of health surveillance data.Interdisciplinary team participation — contribute constructively to case conferences with physicians, nurses, and statisticians in a preventive medicine department.Regulatory and legal frameworks — identify applicable public health laws and reporting requirements relevant to occupational or environmental medicine cases.
developing
Comprehensive patient histories — independently document and review detailed occupational and environmental exposure histories for patients in a specialty clinic or occupational health setting.Acute and chronic disease investigations — conduct epidemiological field investigations with limited oversight, applying inductive and deductive reasoning to identify causal pathways.Targeted surveillance systems — design and implement screening and laboratory-based surveillance tools to monitor specific health risks within a defined population.Prevention program operations — manage day-to-day activities of prevention programs in areas such as infectious disease or environmental medicine within an institutional setting.Risk communication — deliver clear, evidence-based public health education to professional and lay audiences on topics including immunizations, sanitation, and nutrition.Data analysis and reporting — analyze surveillance and vital records data using spreadsheet and statistical software, producing written reports for departmental review.Staff coordination — coordinate the scheduling and workflow of nurses, epidemiologists, and support personnel within a prevention program unit.Intervention effectiveness assessment — evaluate prescribed risk reduction measures using pre-established metrics and recommend adjustments based on outcome data.At-risk group stratification — apply epidemiological and demographic analyses to stratify population subgroups by risk level, supporting targeted resource allocation.Interdisciplinary collaboration — adapt communication strategies and technical language when working with public health, clinical, and administrative colleagues across departments.
proficient
Prevention program leadership — autonomously direct specialty prevention programs in aerospace, occupational, or environmental medicine, ensuring scientific rigor and regulatory compliance.Complex epidemiological investigations — lead multi-site investigations of acute and chronic disease outbreaks, integrating environmental, biological, and behavioral data to determine etiology.Advanced surveillance system design — architect comprehensive surveillance frameworks combining screening, lab reporting, and vital records to detect and quantify emerging health risks.Occupational and environmental risk assessment — perform authoritative reviews of patient and population histories, synthesizing complex exposure data to guide clinical and policy decisions.Multidisciplinary team supervision — supervise and mentor physicians, nurses, statisticians, and public health professionals, setting performance standards and resolving complex staff issues.Public health program evaluation — apply systems analysis and systems evaluation methods to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of population-level preventive interventions.Policy interpretation and application — interpret and apply public health law, OSHA regulations, and government guidelines to shape program design and institutional compliance strategies.Health education program direction — design and oversee comprehensive public health education campaigns addressing disease prevention, water safety, waste disposal, and vector control.Scientific writing and dissemination — author high-quality reports, manuscripts, and policy briefs communicating findings from epidemiological studies to scientific and regulatory audiences.Cross-sector problem solving — resolve non-routine preventive medicine challenges by integrating knowledge across medicine, biology, psychology, and administration in complex organizational environments.
advanced
Organizational prevention strategy — set the strategic vision and long-term direction for enterprise-wide preventive medicine programs across multiple specialty domains at an organizational or governmental level.Population health governance — lead institutional or public health agency governance structures, establishing policies and accountability mechanisms for disease prevention at regional or national scale.Workforce development — design and implement training curricula and mentorship programs that build preventive medicine competencies across interdisciplinary clinical and public health workforces.Epidemiological research agenda — define and champion organizational research priorities for epidemiological science, securing resources and partnerships to advance the field of preventive medicine.Systemic surveillance innovation — lead the development of next-generation surveillance architectures integrating analytical software, real-time data systems, and AI-assisted pattern recognition for population health monitoring.Executive stakeholder engagement — represent the organization's preventive medicine mission before legislative bodies, regulatory agencies, executive leadership, and community coalitions to advance public health policy.Program portfolio oversight — evaluate and govern a portfolio of prevention initiatives spanning infectious disease, occupational health, environmental medicine, and public safety, allocating resources based on population impact data.Interorganizational coordination — orchestrate collaboration among health systems, government agencies, academic institutions, and community organizations to address complex, multi-sector public health challenges.Ethical and legal leadership — establish institutional standards for ethical practice, informed consent, and regulatory compliance in preventive medicine operations and research, guiding staff through ambiguous legal landscapes.Knowledge translation and influence — translate advanced epidemiological evidence and systems evaluation findings into actionable national guidelines, standards of practice, or legislative recommendations that shape the profession.
Also known as
13 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Aerospace Medicine PhysicianEnvironmental Health PhysicianOccupational Health Physician (OHP)Occupational Medicine OfficerOccupational Medicine PhysicianOccupational PhysicianPhysicianPreventive Medicine OfficerPreventive Medicine PhysicianPreventive Medicine SpecialistPrimary ClinicianPublic Health OfficerPublic Health Physician