Physicians who practise preventive medicine are critical to the public’s overall health. As they work with disease and injury prevention, their job entails many tasks and a high degree of education. If you want to work in medicine while promoting healthy habits, you can consider becoming a preventative medicine physician. Read more about becoming a preventive medicine physician and types of preventive medicine in detail in this post. 

• What is a preventive medicine physician?

A preventive medicine practitioner is a physician who focuses on preventing disease, disability, damage, and death. Preventive medicine physicians often help patients before they become ill, whereas primary care doctors help patients after they become ill. Their purpose is to improve people’s health and reduce the danger of harm or disease spread to the general public. They enhance health to avoid illness or injury before it happens. Preventive medicine doctors can achieve this by teaching or counselling patients or groups of people about health and prevention.

 

• Types of preventive medicine

The essential types of preventive medicines are listed below:

1. Primary Preventive Method — Immunization, birth control and condom use, regular dental cleanings and treatment, and hand-washing are primary prevention strategies that all patients can do to prevent some diseases from developing.
2. Secondary Techniques — The detection of disease and screening procedures, such as routine blood work, mammograms, and pap smears, are secondary steps.
3. Tertiary prevention — After a diagnosis, tertiary prevention reduces illness consequences and restores the patient’s function. An antidepressant drug, for example, maybe prescribed to a patient who has been diagnosed with depression.
4. Quaternary prevention — Quaternary prevention refers to a set of health practises that reduce or eliminate the use of unnecessary medical procedures. Quaternary prevention is a healthy lifestyle that includes diet and exercise.

• What does it take to become a preventative medicine physician?

If you want to work as a preventative medicine physician, you must meet the following requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree is required.

A bachelor’s degree, or four years of formal education, is required before becoming a preventative medicine physician. While many degree alternatives are available, becoming a physician typically requires a science or pre-med degree.

• Go to medical school.

Even though preventive medicine specialists specialize in disease and injury prevention, they must still complete medical school. This is because their job may require them to conduct actions that would normally be performed by a physician, such as operating on patients or administering medication.

• Complete a residency in preventive medicine.

After graduating from medical school, you can pursue a residency in preventive medicine. Residency programmes are postgraduate studies that specialize in a certain speciality, such as preventive medicine.

• Pass the residency examination

Following your residency, you may be required to pass an exam to become certified or licensed. Working in the medical area necessitates some level of expertise. This is because being a physician necessitates a broad understanding of a variety of complex topics and the application of that knowledge to daily responsibilities.