Preventive Medicine Physicians

A volunteer or part-time job at a health care facility or medical practice where preventive medicine is offered is a good way to learn more about this field and see if it aligns with your interests and skills. This also gives you opportunities to observe preventive medicine physicians on the job and see what their daily tasks are like. You could also arrange an information interview with a physician to find out how they got started in their career and ask them what they would recommend to students interested in this field. Perhaps you could even job-shadow a physician to learn even more about the field. Your school's career services office can help you find job opportunities in preventive medicine. Read articles and find helpful career resources on the Web sites of professional associations, such as the American Association of Public Health Physicians (https://www.aaphp.org) and the American College of Preventive Medicine (https://www.acpm.org).

Other ways to learn more about this career include getting involved in summer exploration programs in health care that are offered by colleges and universities and joining HOSA, a membership organization for middle school, high school, and college students who are interested in pursuing health care–related careers.