Introduction

The Preventive Medicine Training Program at the University of Massachusetts is a twenty year old program that has graduated 36 trainees.  The Program began as a two year program that focused on training physicians in epidemiology.  Over the years, the Program has retained its strong focus on epidemiology and epidemiologic research while expanding MPH, practicum, clinical and research offerings in disease prevention and health promotion, community medicine, behavioral medicine, health policy and management, community health education and public health practice.

The goal of the training program is to produce graduates with the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to assume leadership roles in the field of preventive medicine and public health.  In order to meet the challenge of providing trainees and fellows with appropriate focus in a field that is very broad, trainees are encouraged to pursue one or two areas in depth while developing basic analytical and problem-solving skills applicable to all areas.  Trainees have ample opportunity to develop expertise through experiences in clinics, community health centers, city, state and federal public health agencies, community-based organization, health maintenance organizations, and research groups that abound in Massachusetts.

(Table 1 and Table 2).  The UMass Preventive Medicine Training Program is designed to be a two year program in which academic and practicum experiences are offered concurrently throughout the two years.  On occasion, highly qualified trainees are accepted for the practicum year of training, but preference is given to applicants who are interested in a combined two year training program.

A small number of trainees in the University of Massachusetts Family Practice Training Program choose to combine training in family practice and preventive medicine.  These trainees complete four to six months of preventive medicine academic and practicum experience during family practice elective rotations and enter full-time preventive medicine training after completion of three years of family practice.