Practicing preventive medicine: a national survey of general preventive medicine residency graduates--United States, 1991.

We conducted a national survey of all physicians who graduated from preventive medicine residency (PMR) programs between 1979 and 1989. We mailed a self-administered questionnaire to all PMR graduates of the 43 U.S. programs in General Preventive Medicine and Public Health, requesting information on their current professional activities. Out of 1,070 PMR graduates, 797 (75%) responded to the survey. Overall, graduates were distinguished from other physicians by both work setting and work activities. PMR graduates worked predominantly in institutional settings: in federal or state health agencies, academia, or hospitals/clinics. In addition to maintaining their involvement in clinical medicine, PMR graduates were heavily involved in epidemiologic research and program management. This unique blend of organizational skills, expertise in population-based research, and clinical experience makes PMR graduates an increasingly important human resource as health care reform increases the population of patients being cared for in a managed care setting.