Preventive Medicine vs. PA school + MPH

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Hello,

I am an undergraduate student, a junior specifically. I have been deciding/battling with the big question: What is it that I want to do with my life? After going on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua, and studying abroad in Honduras this past summer, I have no doubt in my mind that I want a job where I can change the world, particularly in health care. I've always wanted a job where traveling was a component in the career along with humanitarian efforts. I have been debating between Physician Assistant school as well as becoming a doctor, but the answer isn't clear to me yet.

I met one girl who will be attending medical school this upcoming Fall, and she told me how there was a residency called Preventive Medicine. I was immediately interested. She mentioned it briefly, but I began to do further research on my own and had some unanswered questions.

Being a student who is debating between two professions, I want to try and make the right choice. What are the job opportunities like for Preventive Medicine physicians? How is the job security? I would love to teach in academia, research, help organize NGOs/support NGOs, and volunteer for extended periods of time outside of the country. Would this be possible with Preventive Medicine? If I did a combined dual degree program with a Masters in Public Health along with a Physician Assistant degree, would I be able to do the same type of work? The reason I ask is because if there is an alternate, shorter route to do what I love then I would take that route to get into the working world faster!

shorter does not always equal better. take the time to do it right. get the md, mph or do, mph and the world will open its arms to you with opportunities.

Originally Posted by DreamerDreamer

Hello,

I am an undergraduate student, a junior specifically. I have been deciding/battling with the big question: What is it that I want to do with my life? After going on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua, and studying abroad in Honduras this past summer, I have no doubt in my mind that I want a job where I can change the world, particularly in health care. I've always wanted a job where traveling was a component in the career along with humanitarian efforts. I have been debating between Physician Assistant school as well as becoming a doctor, but the answer isn't clear to me yet.

I met one girl who will be attending medical school this upcoming Fall, and she told me how there was a residency called Preventive Medicine. I was immediately interested. She mentioned it briefly, but I began to do further research on my own and had some unanswered questions.

Being a student who is debating between two professions, I want to try and make the right choice. What are the job opportunities like for Preventive Medicine physicians? How is the job security? I would love to teach in academia, research, help organize NGOs/support NGOs, and volunteer for extended periods of time outside of the country. Would this be possible with Preventive Medicine? If I did a combined dual degree program with a Masters in Public Health along with a Physician Assistant degree, would I be able to do the same type of work? The reason I ask is because if there is an alternate, shorter route to do what I love then I would take that route to get into the working world faster!

Doing a Preventive Medicine residency will give you the opportunity of working as a public health "Medical Officer" or as a "Medical Epedemiologist" at public health government organizations. You could also work in academia. You can go to the CDC website or the USAJobs website and see the job discription listed under "medical officer".

If you chose to go the Preventive Medicine route make sure you like direct 1 on 1 clinical medicine and primary care, and not just public health. A public health professional only does public health work (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Administration, Enviromental Health). But a Preventive Medicine professional is a PHYSICIAN who DIAGNOSES a health concern in patients of an affected population and comes up with a TREATMEANT & PREVENTION plan for patients in that ffected population.

In Preventive Medicine, you diagnose and treat ilnesses on a population level, and then come up with a plan to help prevent the illness/condition form happening again on a population level. In Preventive Medicine, your "patient" is the population. You diagnose and treat, and prevent disease, in the population.

One problem you'll run in to as a PA is that only the U.S. recognizes the P.A. license. Some nations may not let you practice.

A Prevmed residency is done in conjunction with an MPH where most programs will pay for the MPH degree. Not the MD. I do think an MD degree can give you more opportunities in NGOs or the Public Health Service. I did Occpational and Environmental Medicine which is a preventative medicine specialty, many general prevmed physicians will do an occupational medicine residency in addition to occ med due to the job market, but if occ med is done first then vice versa is usually not necessary. I recieved my MPH, did an internship with WHO, rotation with ATSDR/CDC, and did a rotation in Guam in my two year residency, but it is required to do a prelim year so you'd be doing 3 years total. I was happy with doing just occ med. As a occ med physician, it is usually clnical in the beginning, but then more administrative as you go further into your career. I think if you are a PA, then you will be doing more clinical work in your job.