What You'll Do

  • Teach or train medical staff regarding preventive medicine issues.
  • Document or review comprehensive patients' histories with an emphasis on occupation or environmental risks.
  • Prepare preventive health reports, including problem descriptions, analyses, alternative solutions, and recommendations.
  • Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members.
  • Deliver presentations to lay or professional audiences.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed risk reduction measures or other interventions.
  • 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.
  • Perform epidemiological investigations of acute and chronic diseases.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 4.38/5
Active Listening 4.25/5
Speaking 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.25/5
Complex Problem Solving 4.25/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.25/5
Writing 4.12/5
Monitoring 4.12/5
Active Learning 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 4.0/5
Coordination 4.0/5
Science 3.75/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Integrity, Concern for Others, Analytical Thinking, Cooperation, Achievement/Effort

Want a personal read on fit. Take the free assessment and see your exact compatibility with this career and many related roles.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.38/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.38/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.38/5
Oral Comprehension 4.25/5
Written Comprehension 4.12/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.12/5
Speech Clarity 4.12/5
Written Expression 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Biostatistical software Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info Database software Email software Epidemiological software Insightful S-PLUS Medical surveillance software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word NCSS NCSS Power Analysis and Sample Size PASS NetEpi OpenEpi Patient electronic medical record EMR software R SAS SAS JMP

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.74/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.47/5)
  • Analytical Thinking (High importance: 4.42/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.28/5)
  • Achievement/Effort (High importance: 4.26/5)

Want to see how YOUR work style matches this career?

Take Free 15-Min Assessment →

How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

Similar Careers to Explore

Neurologists

99.8% similar profile

Clinical Neuropsychologists

99.7% similar profile

Allergists and Immunologists

99.6% similar profile

General Internal Medicine Physicians

99.4% similar profile

Pediatricians, General

99.2% similar profile

Epidemiologists

99.1% similar profile

Family Medicine Physicians

99.1% similar profile

Naturopathic Physicians

99.1% similar profile

Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Aerospace Medicine Physician Environmental Health Physician Occupational Health Physician (OHP) Occupational Medicine Officer Occupational Medicine Physician Occupational Physician Physician Preventive Medicine Officer Preventive Medicine Physician Preventive Medicine Specialist Primary Clinician Public Health Officer Public Health Physician