Job: Preventive Medicine Specialist (68S)

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To be a U.S. Army Soldier is to be a part of the strongest fighting force in the world. You'll spend your days training, working and serving together to protect America's freedoms. But you'll also have time after work for family, friends and personal interests. From recruitment to retirement, the U.S. Army provides a unique and diverse lifestyle for Soldiers.


Preventive medicine is integral to maintaining the health and well-being of all Army Soldiers and personnel. Preventive Medicine Specialists are the central members of the Medical Services Corps Preventive Medicine Sciences team, which is charged with studying and preventing the spread of disease and infection within the Army. Preventive Medicine Specialists are primarily responsible for conducting or assisting with preventive medicine inspections, surveys and preventative medicine laboratory procedures. They also supervise preventive medicine facilities or serve on preventive medicine staffs. Some of your duties as a Preventive Medicine Specialist may include:

* Conduct preventive medicine inspections
* Conduct survey and control operations
* Assist with preventive medicine laboratory procedures

Job training for a Preventive Medicine Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 15 weeks of Advanced Individual Training and on-the-job instruction, including practice in testing specimens. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

* Sanitation inspection procedures
* Study of parasites and diseases affecting humans
* Bacteriological analyzes of potable water

Helpful attributes include:

* An interest in biology, chemistry and algebra
* An interest in scientific and technical work
* An ability to follow detailed procedures precisely

Advanced level Preventive Medicine Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Preventive Medicine Specialist, you may be involved in:

* Conduct preventive medicine inspections, surveys
* Control operations and assists with preventive medicine laboratory procedures

The skills you learn as a Preventive Medicine Specialist will help prepare you for a future with privately owned research institutions, public health departments and the environmental sciences professions.

The certifications available to you after continued study and experience are: Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian and Certified Radiation Protection Technologist. Certain restrictions apply and specific educational criteria must be met before you can qualify for certification.

* Pharmacy Specialist (68Q)
* Medical Laboratory Specialist (68K)
* Radiology Specialist (68P)
* Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist (68R)

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.