Introduction

Loma Linda University (LLU) has taken special interest in preventive medicine since it began in 1905.  The first formal preventive medicine organization was the School of Tropical and Preventive Medicine, established in 1948.  It began with a heavy emphasis on research and gradually evolved into graduate education.  In 1967, LLU established the School of Public Health. 

The General Preventive Medicine Residency Program began in 1979 as a cooperative effort of the School of Public Health (SPH) and the School of Medicine and emphasizes clinical preventive medicine, which combines preventive medicine with primary health care. It focuses on disease as it occurs in communities and defined population groups.  LLU takes special interest in the assessment of individual health hazards and the promotion of practices that help to reduce risk and prevent or postpone disease and injury. 

From its beginning, the residency program at LLU has involved lifestyle medicine and health promotion.  At the same time, it provides a balance of experience in both government and private health care, and in the fee-for-service and pre-pay health care systems.


The Specialty of Preventive Medicine

Preventive medicine has been recognized as a specialty by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for more than 50 years.  The American Board of Preventive Medicine currently certifies physicians in three areas: general preventive medicine, occupational medicine, and aerospace medicine.  The preventive medicine training encompasses the clinical, administrative, and research skills involved with medical research, program and health care policy development, and administration.  Residents  in the Loma Linda University program are given a unique opportunity to participate in and learn the specific skills involved in preventive medicine. 


Mission Statement

Our Mission Statement echoes the University's motto of "Making Man Whole" but with a special emphasis on population medicine and public health.  Our mission is demonstrated through the educational, clinical and research activites of the department.

Educational Mission - Medical Student, Residency & Fellowship Training

The preventive medicine curriculum is designed to prepare medical students for the preventive medicine portion of their boards, to learn how to integrate clinical prevention into clinical practice and to understand the mechanics of research and medical literature

The LLU Preventive Medicine Department started the Preventive Medicine Residency in 1982 with Dr. William Dysinger as the first program director.  It now sponsors several different post graduate training programs: Preventive Medicine Residency, Combined Preventive and Family Medicine Residency with an emphasis in Lifestyle Medicine and International Medicine, Occupational Medicine Residency, Addiction Medicine Fellowship.

Clinical Mission

By providing residents an opportunity to participate in obesity management, women's health, general prevention and travel medicine clinics at the Center for Health Promotion, it is our goal to provide ample clinical experience in these fields.  Residents will also rotate at the LLU Student Health Service whith emphasis on primary healthcare for the Loma Linda University students, whereas SACHS clinics offer communicty healthcare for the San Bernardino district.  The Occupational Health Center focusses on new employee health and workman compensation management.

Research Mission

The practice group members work with faculty from the School of Public Health on a number of research and community service projects.  Research areas include obesity, smoking cessation, nutrition, etc.


Academic Year - Master of Public Health Degree

Accepted residency applicants are advised to apply separately for admission to the School of Public Health's MPH degree program after having been notified of their acceptance into the residency program.  Residents choose from a variety of programs including: Environmental & Occupational Health Epidemiology /Biostatistics, Health Administration, Health Promotion & Education, International Health, Nutrition, Generalist program for health professionals.

All MPH majors take core course work in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health administration, and the behavioral sciences. Those physicians who have previously completed an MPH or its equivalent elsewhere can apply for direct entry into the PGY-3 year.


Practicum Year

Practicum training is offered through affiliated institutions
Program at a Glance


Requirements

The ACGME requirements for specialization include three phases, each no less than one year in duration:

1. Post Graduate Year One (PGY-1): approved residency training in any clinical specialty.
2. Post Graduate Year Two (PGY-2): an academic year leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree or its equivalent.
3. Post Graduate Year Three (PGY-3): a year of  practical experience in preventive medicine programs and research.

LLU offers training for all three phases by integrating the academic and practicum experiences in the PGY-2 and -3 years.


Opportunities in Preventive Medicine

The Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee (GMENAC) and the Department of Health and Human Services reported in the early 1980s that preventive medicine was one of the few specialties with a projected deficit in manpower, and this has indeed proved to be the case, contrasting sharply with the oversupply in many of the other medical specialties.
Opportunities for work exist in a variety of private health maintenance organizations, solo or group clinical practices, and in public health, medical administration, teaching and research in academic medicine, wellness programs in industry and other corporate entities, and in international health care.

Preventive medicine practitioners quite often keep regular business hours.  Many are offered the opportunity to work or consult in various locales where they can experience a rich and satisfying professional life.

Graduates of the LLU Preventive Medicine Residency learn the diverse skills necessary to pursue a career in an array of specialized fields, including private practice, county health departments, teaching and epidemiologic research, HMOs, and employee wellness medicine.

A few indicators of the future demand for physicians with specialty training in preventive medicine include the following:

1. The increasing number of wellness programs nationwide in a variety of settings: community-based, hospital-based, and corporate-based.
2. The increasing incidence of AIDS and other major health problems, precipitating a need for more epidemiologic research and disease control specialists.
3. The greatly expanding corporate model of health care delivery with its emphasis on efficiency, planning, and risk management.  Preventive Medicine is the only specialty preparing physicians with these administrative skills.


Lifestyle

Demonstration is recognized as the best method of teaching, so all residents are expected to demonstrate healthful living in their personal lives. LLU is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Its motto, To Make Man Whole typifies not only the educational opportunities the university offers, but also the contributions it and the students can make to the church and to the world.  The residency espouses the unique goals and objectives of the worldwide Adventist health care system and provides both training and patient care within an atmosphere of Christian compassion and concern, helping people to become “whole” in the truest sense.  The residency program is open to persons of all religious faiths who share this philosophy.


Family & Preventive Medicine Residency Program

A combined four-year program with the LLU family practice residency exists for those interested in a second board certification in primary care.


Addiction Medicine Fellowship

Two one-year fellowship (PGY-4) positions in addiction medicine are also available. Fellows receive addiction medicine experience and training through their involvement in treatment and education groups, lectures, and teaching of residents and medical students. Rotation sites include the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Recovery Unit, and LLU Behavioral Medicine Center.