Mission

The USUHS-NCC General Preventive Medicine (GPM) Residency Program trains residents to become fully competent, board-certified and lifelong learning physicians who expertly apply population-based methods in order to promote, protect, preserve, and rehabilitate the health of those who go in harm’s way.

Vision

The NCC GPM residency will continue to produce talented and capable public health physicians, who are ready to meet the ever-evolving missions of the U.S. military services.

Aims

Train preventive medicine physicians who:

• Apply principles and methods of biostatistics and epidemiology appropriately
• Plan, administer, and evaluate health systems and medical programs
• Recognize, assess, and control environmental and occupational health hazards
• Address social, cultural, and behavioral factors influencing individual and public health
• Assess population health needs, and implement primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies to meet them
• Identify and counter disease and injury threats related to military service
• Communicate effectively with both professional and lay target audiences regarding public health hazards, and the risks and benefits of mitigation strategies to address them

Journal Club is held weekly, on Wednesday afternoons. The primary academic activity is a critical appraisal of scientific literature to address problems in preventive medicine and public health. We discuss the quality and relevance of selected articles, and how the evidence presented in those articles can be used to address issues of public health and military significance. Residents also present clinical cases of public health significance and discuss current events that may impact the health of various populations. PGY3s organize and present several board review sessions. Finally, residents participate in small-group discussions organized in a seminar format, to further their skills in leading diverse groups of medical and military professionals, as well as in caring for diverse patient populations.

1st Year - PGY2

During the PGY2 year, residents complete coursework required to earn an MPH or MPH&TM degrees. Additional academic requirements for these degrees include an independent research project, completed during PGY2 year, and a Public Health practicum activity, which is completed during the PGY3 year. PGY2 residents are also required to complete two months of direct patient care (DPC), which is generally accomplished in 80 half-day clinics.

2nd Year - PGY3

The PGY3 year focuses largely on practicum activities. Residents are based at USUHS but spend most of their time rotating in a variety of external organizations gaining “on the job” experience in the required competencies. Throughout this year, residents continue to participate in the weekly Journal Club at USUHS. 

PGY3 Year Required Rotations

• County public health department (8 weeks)
• Direct Patient Care (8 weeks, usually divided into two 4-week rotations)
• Public Health Policy/Clinical Preventive Services at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (6 weeks)
• Military-specific policy rotation (5-8 weeks)
• Military-specific operational rotation (4-8 weeks)
• Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division (5 weeks)

PGY3 Year Elective Rotation Options

• Bushmaster (1-2 weeks) – Ft Indiantown Gap
• Tropical Medicine Training Program – various overseas locations
• DHA Immunization Healthcare Branch - DHHQ & WRNMMC
• Center for Global Health Engagement – Bethesda
• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion - Rockville
• National Center for Medical Intelligence – Ft Detrick
• Department of State Operations – Washington DC
• WRAIR Entomology Branch – Silver Spring
• Occupational and Environmental Medicine Short course –USU
• Denver TB course – Denver
• ACPM/ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies Course –Online
• Research: 1-2 weeks; can be used to prepare manuscripts or develop other academic products

Typically, there is no call in our program.

Residents learn to:

• Assess the threat of and develop and implement effective countermeasures against infectious diseases of military importance in field operational settings, including malaria, arboviral and other vector-borne diseases, enteric infections, water contact diseases (e.g. leptospirosis and schistosomiasis), soil contact infections (e.g. hantavirus), sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and biological warfare agents.
• Assess the threat of, and develop and implement effective countermeasures against heat, cold and other environmental injuries in military populations, including exposures to chemical weapons, depleted uranium, and other hazards unique to the military.
• Identify and counter disease and injury threats which account for substantial morbidity in recruit training settings, e.g.  respiratory disease and training injuries.
• Conduct ongoing surveillance capable of rapidly identifying and responding to significant disease and injury threats in military populations in a variety of settings.
• Devise, implement, and evaluate health promotion programs in military populations.
• Assess and respond effectively to the public health needs of civilian populations displaced by military conflict or natural disasters.

PGY2

PGY2 required courses vary based on whether the resident is pursing an MPH, or an MPH&TM degree. Details can be found in the USU course catalog. 

PGY3

During PGY3 year, the following courses are required:

• Attend at least one major national professional conference, typically the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) Annual Conference
• Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course (MCBC)
• FEMA independent study online course
• Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Basic or Advanced Course
• The Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course

PGY2 residents participate in a ½ day OSCE at the USU Simulation Center, to assess their skills in managing clinical problems commonly seen in public health clinics.

Residents fill many leadership roles. Every year PGY2s serve on the Graduate Medical Education Council subcommittees (Internal Oversight and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittees). PGY2s may also serve as wellness coordinators for the residency program. Additionally, a peer-selected PGY2 represents USUHS GPM at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center House Staff Council. During PGY3 year, two residents serve as Chief residents and a third PGY3 will serve as Chief Resident for Direct Patient Care. The Chief Resident for Direct Patient Care assists with coordinating schedules such that all incoming PGY2 residents are able to complete their DPC obligations by the end of the Spring Quarter of their MPH year. Additional PGY3 leadership roles include directing the annual residency-run flu shot exercise at the Walter Reed child development center, and serving as coordinator for the USU SOM Preventive Medicine Interest Group. Finally, Journal Club academic activities include a quarterly leadership session, developed and facilitated by faculty, in which we discuss current issues in military, public health, or civil leadership.

PGY2 residents are expected to complete an independent research project, as part of the requirements for their MPH degree. Multiple other opportunities for research arise during PGY3 practicum rotations.

Quality improvement projects may be completed at any point during the PGY2 and PGY3 years. Quality improvement projects may be completed to benefit the GPM program directly or can occur during dedicated PGY3 rotations.

The GPM PD and the APD serve as academic advisors to all residents and work closely with them in the selection of their courses. Each fall, the military Specialty Leaders/Consultants present a professional development session to the residents during Journal Club. Journal Club also has a book club component whose intent is to introduce different perspectives through narrative, rather than through academic analysis. The goal is to improve our ability to learn about cultural or social backgrounds that are different from our own, and ultimately incorporate this ability into patient care and leadership skills.

• Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division
• Trainee Health at Lackland Air Force Base
• Air Force Medical Readiness Agency
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Andrews Air Force Bas
• Bureau of Medicine and Surgery,
• Center for Global Health Engagement
• Canadian Embassy, Defense Health Agency–Immunization Healthcare Division
• Department of State
• Fairfax County Health Department
• Madigan Informatics
• Madigan Army Medical Center
• Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
• NAMRU-6
• National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health
• NEPMU-2
• NEPMU-5
• NEPMU-6
• NEMPU-7
• Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command
• Office of the Surgeon General, Army, Special Warfare Operational Medicine Squadron
• United States School of Aerospace Medicine
• United States Naval Academy Medical Brigade
• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Preventive Medicine
• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Pain Clinic

Not currently available locally.

Contact the program email to schedule an interview. The PD and APD are also happy to answer questions about the program or the preventive medicine career field, via phone or email.

Program graduates take the American Board of Preventive Medicine exam in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine exam. This exam is offered annually, approximately 4 months following graduation. Qualified graduates may also meet requirements to sit for an additional Preventive Medicine board exam, in either Aerospace or Occupational Medicine.

Residents hone their teaching abilities during weekly Journal Club, presenting critical appraisals of scientific literature and teaching board review material.

Throughout PGY2 and PGY3 year residents may also choose to support the department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics by serving as faculty for School of Medicine small group sessions.

Faculty members are board-certified in all three specialties of preventive medicine (public health, aerospace, and occupational). Many faculty members are dual-boarded in other medical specialties, including pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, and infectious disease. We also have a robust PhD faculty with expertise in diverse subjects including epidemiology, biostatistics, entomology, microbiology, and healthcare management.

Chief Residents and PGY3 residents often serve as mentors to PGY2 residents. GPM residents often have a diverse background and may have completed prior residency programs. Past residents have had experience in flight medicine, underwater medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, otolaryngology, pathology, infectious diseases, and obstetrics and gynecology. The mix of prior training and service experience in our residents provides a rich environment for sharing of experiences and advice among our residents. Each resident is assigned an advisor, the PD or APD, and this provides additional mentorship opportunities.

Two PGY2s serve as wellness coordinators for the program. Each year there are scheduled social events at the midpoint and end of the academic year. Additionally, the wellness coordinators plan social outings for the program throughout the year. Recent activities have included apple picking, ice skating, pumpkin carving, and trivia nights.