Why Is Health Informatics Important?
Health informatics utilizes data analytics and healthcare expertise to drive [...]
The use of remedies to treat disease and injuries is called allopathic medicine, and it’s the type of medicine most people think of when they think of ‘the doctor.’ Allopathy is the science of making bad things go away or at least bother us less.
There is another type of medicine, one that focuses on keeping illness from happening to begin with. This type of medicine, called preventive medicine, teaches patients to take better care of themselves to reduce the likelihood they will eventually need allopathic remedies. It also engages with public health policy to promote practices that benefit society at large.
Obviously, we need both types of medicine: no amount of prevention can eliminate accidents, and no amount of allopathy can cure someone whose poor life choices have ruined their health. But the case can be made that the need for preventive medicine specialists is greater. Almost everyone knows of a GP or a clinic, or an emergency room they can visit when they have an urgent medical issue. But does everyone have a doctor who can tell them how to eat better? Reduce stress? Avoid behaviors that promote addiction? And who couldn’t use a doctor like that?
Maybe you could be that doctor. This guide on how to become a preventive medicine specialist covers:
According to the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), there are two types of licensed preventive medicine specialists:
Both specialists are experts in the areas of:
The ACPM identifies three main areas of specialization for preventive medicine physicians:
Within these specialties, there are also subspecialties (more on that later). It’s like a Russian nesting doll of medicine.
From flu shot drives to public health education campaigns, these workers make sure populations avert epidemics and other outbreaks. Public health specialists serve individual patients all the way up to government agencies. Their employers include:
Every time you’ve experienced safe working conditions, you can thank occupational medicine specialists. These doctors focus on the health and well-being of employees by examining all the elements that can potentially impact worker health.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an occupational medicine and nursing arm responsible for creating rules and regulations for the national workforce.
You might think there’s no need for a branch of medicine focused specifically on the health of flight crews, passengers, and astronauts. Think again. The unique aspects of air travel—the environment, the constant time zone changes, exposure to radiation—create medical conditions that require specialized attention. Many aerospace medical specialists (sometimes called aviation specialists or flight specialists) work for the military.
Doctors may also choose to become certified in a subspecialty. The American Board of Preventive Medicine identifies four subspecializations:
Though both MDs and DOs attend four-year programs, there are some key differences between the two approaches. MD programs tend to focus on diagnosis and treatment of specific conditions, applying traditional remedy-based approaches. DO programs focus more on preventative practices as well as on holistic approaches to disease and injury prevention. Admission to MD programs tends to be more competitive.
Regardless of which program you pick (or get accepted to), plan on an educational commitment of roughly 11 to 15 years, according to the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California – Los Angeles. This includes:
There are 71 accredited preventive medicine programs in the US approved by the Preventive Medicine Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Programs are offered by:
To be accepted, applicants must have first completed a minimum of 12 months in an ACGME-accredited residency program.
To get licensed, both MDs and DOs must earn state licensing and pass state board exams. DOs must also pass the Comprehensive Medical Licensing Examination(COMLEX), while MDs must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). DOs may take the USMLE if they wish.
According to the American Board of Preventive Medicine, the general requirements for becoming a public health and general preventive medicine specialist include:
Additional specialization requirements include one of the following:
Becoming a preventive medical professional opens a variety of career opportunities in both medical practice and public health.
(Last Updated on February 26, 2024)
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