Postgraduate preventive medicine: where do we stand today.

Abstract

It appears that the specialty of preventive medicine is declining as a viable specialty, with inadequate numbers of practitioners and with a declining number of physicians entering residency training programs. However, additional data are needed to make rough estimates of the level of need in the future. Even without that data, we must begin to address the potential shortage in trained manpower, because there is a trend that cannot be ignored pointing to a potential shortage. Several points must be pursued. All medical students must be exposed to the excitement we all feel about preventive care. Our teaching programs in medical schools must be strengthened to assure that there is rigor in these programs and that the potential of preventive medicine is conveyed. It is imperative to examine the field to discover why so many of our self-designated specialists in preventive medicine are not board-certified. Obviously one reason could be that a hungry job market is taking individuals who have not been trained in preventive medicine; another reason could be that for some reason specialists in the field of preventive medicine may feel that board-certification is not necessary for their career goals. This issue raises many questions about the importance of academic training in preventive medicine. It also points to the importance of addressing mid-career training needs on the part of those self-designated specialists. The question of financing must be addressed as well. Efforts must be developed to assure that the preventive field is reimbursed by major third-party payors, Medicare and Medicaid. Perhaps through these reimbursement mechanisms a way could be found to provide, at least in part, resident stipends. In addition, other mechanisms must be developed to provide support for residents in training in preventive medicine. If as a people we are to fulfill our potential of healthiness and achieve the Objective For Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, we must have trained personnel to do the job.