The Department of Preventive Medicine at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine offers an ACGME-accredited, two-year combined academic and practicum residency training program in General Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Residents in the program are taught the components of specialty training in preventive medicine, including a core curriculum in epidemiology and biostatistics, health services administration, environmental and occupational health, cultural and behavioral factors in health and disease, and clinical applications of preventive medicine. The program is designed to develop knowledge and skills in the preventive medicine core and specialty area competencies. In addition to the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, affiliated training sites include: two hospitals (Stony Brook University Hospital, Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center); two large County Health Departments (Nassau and Suffolk); a Managed Care Organization (Fidelis Care New York); the New York State Quality Improvement Organization (IPRO); the Long Island Regional Poison Control Center and Injury Prevention and Control Program at Winthrop-University Hospital; Brookhaven National Laboratory, a national nuclear research facility; as well as several neighborhood health centers and community-based programs operated by the above hospitals and health departments. Residents also have the opportunity, if selected, to concentrate on cancer prevention and control.

The educational design of the program seeks to integrate the basic science and practical aspects of general preventive medicine and public health. The academic phase in a Master of Public Health degree program is supplemented during the practical phase with conferences and seminars that frequently utilize a case or problem presentation and solving approach. Biostatistics, epidemiology, and behavioral science theory and methods are taught in relation to their actual applications in the residents’ health administration and clinical preventive medicine practice experience. Basic principles of epidemiology, biostatistics, and behavioral science are also firmly established through residents’ participation in medical student teaching in these disciplines, as well as through the residents’ active involvement in a research project. The components of each resident's program therefore include academic work, clinical experience, teaching, and research.

The academic phase of training leading to the Master of Public Health degree is provided through an agreement with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Applicants who have an MPH awarded by other accredited institutions are also accepted. Most residents combine the practicum and academic experience over a two-year period, by attending Columbia on a part-time basis. By an arrangement with Columbia, a portion of the course work toward the Columbia MPH is taught by faculty in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook (15 credits of the 45-credit program). The Program Director serves as an advisor to all residents in the selection of courses at Columbia to facilitate the achievement of competencies and individual resident goals for training. The practicum phase at Stony Brook University is specifically designed to accomplish the program objectives through a supervised practice experience in a broad range of public health and preventive medicine settings with on-site teaching and supervision provided by Stony Brook faculty members. During the practicum, residents have several continuing longitudinal experiences, such as: didactic training conducted at the medical school; medical student teaching and related faculty development training; a research project experience; and a clinical ambulatory care assignment of up to two half-days per week. The remainder of the curriculum consists of block field rotations covering the several areas of general preventive medicine and public health practice. Specific rotations are assigned on the basis of the individual resident’s interest, requirements, career goals, and prior training background and experience.