The General Preventive Medicine Residency Program

The University of New Mexico Preventive Medicine Residency trains the next generation of physicians, who will lead health improvement through health promotion and disease prevention. Our graduates are prepared for careers in health care, health agencies, and community organizations.  

Prevention is the Next Frontier in Public Health 

Preventive medicine bridges the unhelpful gap between public health and clinical medicine. Our residents are trained to be changemakers. Our program combines knowledge and skills from clinical medicine with population health to address a broad range of issues affecting populations.  

Our residents gain skills and competencies in: 

• Health promotion and wellness 
• Environmental and occupational health 
• Prevention in clinical medicine 
• Health care organization management 
• Epidemiology as applied to prevention 
• Biostatistics and the ability to synthesize data 
• Health advocacy and policy 
• Research on prevention of injury and disease in specific populations 

The UNM Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program is approved for four residents each year. Our accredited program is tailored to meet the educational needs and professional interest of each resident.  

Why UNM for Preventive Medicine? 

The UNM Preventive Medicine Residency offers opportunities you won’t find elsewhere, including: 

• Extensive training by New Mexico Department of Health staff on public health practice activities 
• Work with diverse populations in New Mexico including Hispanic and American Indian groups in the Southwest 
• Experience with community-based prevention activities through our CDC-funded Prevention Research Center 
• Development of skills for working with adolescents through our School-based Health Clinics as a part of the Albuquerque Public Schools 
• Development of clinical skills to address addiction through our work at the UNM Addiction and Substance Abuse Program 
• Opportunities to work with UNM telehealth projects with Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) 
• Mentored resident research experience tailored to each resident’s unique interests. 
• Opportunities to take part in local and national professional meetings 

We offer two years of training that includes coursework leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The program provides residents with full tuition to complete the MPH degree. Residents also gain experience in public health and clinical practice through a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities.