68S Career Guide
68S: Preventive Medicine Specialist
Career transition guide for Army Preventive Medicine Specialist (68S)
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Top civilian roles for 68S veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist
Skills to develop:
Industrial Hygienist
Skills to develop:
Public Health Inspector
Skills to develop:
Laboratory Technician
Skills to develop:
Emergency Management Specialist
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 68S training built — and where they transfer.
Situational Awareness
As a 68S, you were constantly assessing environmental conditions, potential health hazards, and the overall well-being of personnel under your care. This required you to maintain a heightened state of awareness to anticipate and mitigate risks.
Your ability to perceive and understand your surroundings, predict potential problems, and react effectively translates to a keen sense of situational awareness, making you valuable in roles that require vigilance and quick decision-making.
Procedural Compliance
Preventive medicine is built on strict adherence to protocols, regulations, and safety standards. You meticulously followed established procedures during inspections, surveys, and laboratory work to ensure accuracy and minimize errors.
Your commitment to following guidelines and maintaining accuracy, honed through rigorous training and practice, demonstrates a high level of procedural compliance, making you dependable in regulated environments.
Resource Optimization
Whether managing equipment, supplies, or personnel, you were responsible for allocating resources effectively to maximize the impact of preventive medicine programs. You had to make the most of available resources.
Your experience in making sure resources are used to their full potential translates to a natural ability to optimize resource allocation. This is essential for businesses aiming to streamline operations and reduce costs.
Team Synchronization
You didn't work alone, you were part of a team. As a 68S, you had to synchronize your efforts with other medical personnel, support staff, and even external organizations to achieve common goals in preventive medicine.
Your ability to coordinate with others, communicate effectively, and work towards a shared objective is valuable in any team-oriented environment. You can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working in harmony.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Health and Safety Manager
SOC 11-9199.02You've been meticulously trained to identify and mitigate health hazards. This experience provides a solid foundation for creating and enforcing safety protocols in various industries, ensuring the well-being of employees and compliance with regulations.
Environmental Compliance Inspector
SOC 13-1041.00Your background in preventive medicine has given you a keen eye for environmental hazards and a thorough understanding of compliance regulations. This makes you well-suited to assess and enforce environmental standards in industries such as manufacturing, construction, or waste management.
Emergency Management Specialist
SOC 29-9099.03You've honed your abilities in planning and coordinating responses to health-related emergencies, making you a strong fit to develop and implement emergency preparedness plans for communities or organizations, ensuring a swift and effective response to disasters.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Preventive Medicine Specialist Course, Fort Sam Houston
Topics Covered
- •Medical entomology
- •Water and food sanitation
- •Preventive medicine laboratory procedures
- •Industrial hygiene
- •Field sanitation teams
- •Surveillance programs
- •Data analysis and interpretation
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Requires knowledge of environmental health laws, regulations, and advanced sanitation practices that vary by jurisdiction. Study specific state and local requirements.
Requires a bachelor's degree (or BCSP-approved alternate), plus 4 years of safety experience. Focus study on advanced safety management principles, risk assessment methodologies beyond basic inspections, and legal/regulatory frameworks.
Requires a bachelor's degree and 4 years of experience. Study toxicology, industrial hygiene regulations, and advanced sampling/analysis techniques.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System (DOEHRS) | Occupational health and safety management software (e.g., Cority, Intelex) |
| Disease Reporting System internet (DRSi) | Public health surveillance systems (e.g., Epi Info, BioSense Platform) |
| Forward Area Water Point Assessment Reconnaissance (FAWAR) | Water quality testing equipment and analysis software |
| Entomological specimen collection and identification kits | Insect identification resources and databases (e.g., Purdue Extension Entomology, university entomology collections) |
| AreaRAE Multi Gas Detector | Multi-gas detectors for industrial hygiene and safety (e.g., RAE Systems, MSA, Dräger) |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ensembles (e.g., respirators, Tyvek suits) | Industrial-grade personal protective equipment (PPE) for hazardous environments |
| Tactical medical communication devices (e.g., handheld radios) | Two-way radios and communication systems for field operations (e.g., Motorola, Kenwood) |
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