What it is
Preventive medicine physicians focus on protecting and improving the health of populations — through public health, occupational and environmental medicine, and disease prevention — bridging clinical medicine and public health.
What you do
They design and lead prevention programs, work in public health and occupational settings, and address population health, often holding an MPH.
Training path & length
~2-year residency (after a clinical year), frequently combined with an MPH.
Fellowship subspecialties
Areas include public health & general preventive medicine, occupational medicine, and aerospace medicine.
Pay & job outlook
Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $275,930 for physicians and surgeons (May 2025), with employment projected to grow about 4% from 2025 to 2035. Pay varies by specialty — procedural and surgical fields generally earn more.
Pay varies by setting; many roles are in public health, government, and industry.
How to get there
Become a physician first: earn an MD or DO, then match into this residency. Licensure requires completing residency and passing the board exams.
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Key facts
- Residency~2 years (+ clinical year)
- FocusPopulation health & prevention
- AreasPublic health, occupational, aerospace medicine
- Often pairedWith an MPH
- EntryMD or DO via the match