Preventive medicine physician system in the United States and its implications for China

Medical education system and licensed physician management system in the United States are two relatively mature institutions with successful operation. This study systematically reviewed the policy content of the preventive medicine physician system in the United States by establishing a theoretical analysis framework covering the education, employment admittance, deployment, professional title, and incentive pay system. This study discussed the identity crisis of public health physicians in China and considered that Chinese public health physicians are not preventive medicine physicians. The study suggested that for improving public health physician system in China, the connotation of public health physicians should be rectified; the criterion for admittance of public health physicians should be upgraded; and approaches for the transition between clinicians and public health physicians should be diversified.