Preventive Medicine Residency Program
Welcome to the Wayne State University Preventive Medicine Residency Program!
My name is James Blessman, and I am currently the program director for the Preventive Medicine Residency. Initially starting as an Internist, I sought additional training that would allow me not only to prevent disease but also to restore health, rather than focusing solely on helping patients live with the conditions they have.
Our program at Wayne State University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). It fulfills the requirements for the certifying examination of the American Board of Preventive Medicine. The training in preventive medicine is two years in addition to an internship, which involves not only primary care training but also expanded experiences in correctional medicine, substance use/addiction, and public health, with time spent with both the Detroit and Wayne County Health departments. In addition, residents complete coursework that enables them to obtain a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Wayne State University (tuition is waived), which is essential for those interested in improving population management. Individuals will also find that the MPH helps them pursue administrative opportunities, should they develop an interest in this area in the future. Wayne State University's MPH is a fully-accredited program. Complete information about the MPH program, including accreditation, coursework, faculty profiles, and student resources, is available here. Our program is also unique in that we receive funding from the MiDOCs program (for full details on the MiDOCs program requirements, click here). As such, our graduates, upon completion, receive $150,000 that they may apply towards paying back any education loans, with a commitment to practice in Michigan for two years. If you think you will be interested in becoming a "preventionist", please reach out to us. I have put together a narrative as the answer to "the mom question" of what kind of doctor are you? ...
I am a “preventionist”, and I dedicate my life to making sure that your life doesn’t make you sick. (you can stop here, but if more is needed…). I ensure that your body (and its 37 trillion cells) gets what it needs and avoids what it doesn’t, to function optimally. I pay attention to how you eat, how you move, how you think, and most importantly, how you love and serve others. Good efforts in these areas will help you better deal with the hazards that you might be exposed to, which I also help you keep to a minimum: biological hazards such as viruses and bacteria, chemical hazards like lead and radon, physical hazards like noise, cold, and radiation, and social hazards like toxic people or circumstances. I use drugs when needed, surgery when required, and other resources when needed, but find that these are only temporary solutions when you focus and correct the root cause of illnesses and “dis-ease”. I do all this for both individuals and populations. For me, it’s a calling, and I recognize that where I am successful in helping people become the best versions of themselves, we all prosper. And to you, who may be interested in the services I provide, I would say this: while you can’t go back and change the beginning, you can start where you are today and change the ending.
I appreciate your interest in our program. We look forward to hearing from you!