Preventive Medicine Residency

Deborah Porterfield , MD, MPH
Program Director

Desmond K. Runyan, MD, DrPH
Associate Director

Kim Wagner
Residency Manager

What is the Specialty of Preventive Medicine?

General Preventive Medicine/Public Health is one component of the medical specialty of Preventive Medicine. The specialty requires two years of training after one or more years of clinical residency. The two years consist of: 1) the academic phase - course work leading to an MPH degree or its equivalent; and 2) the practicum phase - a supervised series of experiences in preventive medicine and public health. Successful completion of this training allows residents to apply for certification by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Physicians trained in preventive medicine pursue a variety of career opportunities such as work within federal, state or local public health agencies, academic positions in schools of public health or medicine, or research careers in other settings where public health research skills are of value.