Looking for advice on Family Practice Program vs. NP or ND

[Delta Daisy]

Hello - I know what I want to do but need advice on how to get there.

I want to be in the functional medicine field working in working with clients on preventative care. The problem is I don't know the best course of action to get me there. Honestly, I am in my 40's looking to go back to school and start from scratch. So I need to make sure I don't waste my time or money following a degree only to find I can't apply my credits to get me to the end goal.

I have researched Naturopath, Homeopath, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dietician, and trying to figure the MD portion. It looks like if I want to practice functional medicine in MD role, perhaps Family Medicine is the best course. Am I on the right path? Also any advice on schools in Virginia, more specifically Northern Virginia? Is this field (Family Med) hard to find a job? Or competitive?

Thank you in advance for writing back your valuable feedback.

Delta Daisy

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[deleted87716]

I want to be in the functional medicine field...

I stopped reading at that point.

Functional medicine: The ultimate misnomer in the world of integrative medicine

 

[EMDOC17]

I would say go for ND or Homeopathy if you want to pretend to treat patients without scientific evidence. If you actually want to help patients then you should be deciding between RD, NP, or MD. That is really the decision you need to make. Sorry but ND's and homeopathy are for quacks and people that cannot cut it in a real profession.

 

[FrustratedFamDoc]

To echo what has been said, MD/DO/NP/PA would directly conflict with many of the principles you already likely believe. It would be like trying to be a better Christian by immersing yourself in a polytheistic society.

 

[JustPlainBill]

So, a few comments --

1) "Preventative" is not actually a word -- it's a bastardization of the word "Preventive" but it's commonly used by NPs and chiropractors when speaking to unsuspecting patients and sounds authoritative.
2) "Functional Medicine" like the other "disciplines" that you mention is a construct that has changed names over time and is based on junk science -- well, not really junk science but an uneducated interpretation of what is available in a pub med database search. The few physicians (DO's/MD's) that I've run into who practice this sort of thing usually do it because of patient demand, not necessarily because they have any evidence to back it up, other than anecdotal. In certain markets, it is very lucrative.
3) Most primary care physicians (FM, IM, Ob/Gyn, Peds) practice preventive medicine in the form of screenings and good, old fashioned lifestyle advice -- you can stave off a vast majority of diseases if you 1) don't eat anything bigger than you are (limit the beef and stick to chicken/fish/turkey) and if it can sit on your shelf for more than 5 days without spoiling, don't eat it -- generally try to eat/drink things that don't require labels 2) get moving for at least 150 minutes a week and make sure your waist size starts with a 3x and your weight starts with 1. 3) don't stick things that burn on one end into your mouth and inhale the smoke, drink alcohol in moderation 3) Get your regular physicals/checkups so we can deal with things early. 4) Go fishing or get outdoors frequently -- tends to help with moods.
4) For what you're wanting -- I would go NP and then ND -- that way you can put on a white coat, call yourself doctor and not really have to know WTF you're doing or what the evidence really shows that works.

Your mileage may vary, no warranties expressed or implied, car driven by a professional driver on a closed track.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Hello - I know what I want to do but need advice on how to get there.

I want to be in the functional medicine field working in working with clients on preventative care. The problem is I don't know the best course of action to get me there. Honestly, I am in my 40's looking to go back to school and start from scratch. So I need to make sure I don't waste my time or money following a degree only to find I can't apply my credits to get me to the end goal.

I have researched Naturopath, Homeopath, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dietician, and trying to figure the MD portion. It looks like if I want to practice functional medicine in MD role, perhaps Family Medicine is the best course. Am I on the right path? Also any advice on schools in Virginia, more specifically Northern Virginia? Is this field (Family Med) hard to find a job? Or competitive?

Thank you in advance for writing back your valuable feedback.

Delta Daisy

OMG, sounds like an excerpt from the memoirs of a Birkenstock wearing, braless, grow my own weed, driving a busted up Subaru, don't believe in vaccines, wearing those dreadlocks and eating tofu pizza folks on the Oregon coast. To each his own but at 41 I would think there is more to life than going back to school only to be a laughing stock on the other side.

 

[JustPlainBill]

OMG, sounds like an excerpt from the memoirs of a Birkenstock wearing, braless, grow my own weed, driving a busted up Subaru, don't believe in vaccines, wearing those dreadlocks and eating tofu pizza folks on the Oregon coast. To each his own but at 41 I would think there is more to life than going back to school only to be a laughing stock on the other side.

You forgot folk guitar/Nirvana listening, triggered by the sight of the Confederate battle flag in towel form ...

 

[deleted87716]

An oldie but a goodie.

 

[mcworbust]

So, a few comments --

1) "Preventative" is not actually a word -- it's a bastardization of the word "Preventive" but it's commonly used by NPs and chiropractors when speaking to unsuspecting patients and sounds authoritative.
2) "Functional Medicine" like the other "disciplines" that you mention is a construct that has changed names over time and is based on junk science -- well, not really junk science but an uneducated interpretation of what is available in a pub med database search. The few physicians (DO's/MD's) that I've run into who practice this sort of thing usually do it because of patient demand, not necessarily because they have any evidence to back it up, other than anecdotal. In certain markets, it is very lucrative.
3) Most primary care physicians (FM, IM, Ob/Gyn, Peds) practice preventive medicine in the form of screenings and good, old fashioned lifestyle advice -- you can stave off a vast majority of diseases if you 1) don't eat anything bigger than you are (limit the beef and stick to chicken/fish/turkey) and if it can sit on your shelf for more than 5 days without spoiling, don't eat it -- generally try to eat/drink things that don't require labels 2) get moving for at least 150 minutes a week and make sure your waist size starts with a 3x and your weight starts with 1. 3) don't stick things that burn on one end into your mouth and inhale the smoke, drink alcohol in moderation 3) Get your regular physicals/checkups so we can deal with things early. 4) Go fishing or get outdoors frequently -- tends to help with moods.
4) For what you're wanting -- I would go NP and then ND -- that way you can put on a white coat, call yourself doctor and not really have to know WTF you're doing or what the evidence really shows that works.

Your mileage may vary, no warranties expressed or implied, car driven by a professional driver on a closed track.

Best post ever? Yes.

 

[Perrotfish]

Hello - I know what I want to do but need advice on how to get there.

I want to be in the functional medicine field working in working with clients on preventative care. The problem is I don't know the best course of action to get me there. Honestly, I am in my 40's looking to go back to school and start from scratch. So I need to make sure I don't waste my time or money following a degree only to find I can't apply my credits to get me to the end goal.

I have researched Naturopath, Homeopath, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dietician, and trying to figure the MD portion. It looks like if I want to practice functional medicine in MD role, perhaps Family Medicine is the best course. Am I on the right path? Also any advice on schools in Virginia, more specifically Northern Virginia? Is this field (Family Med) hard to find a job? Or competitive?

Thank you in advance for writing back your valuable feedback.

Delta Daisy

MD: You will need an undergraduate degree which includes about 30 credits of standard premed coursework, average GPA of 3.6, and a high score on a standardized test called the MCAT to get into medical school. Most people apply nationally to dozens of schools and go to whatever school accepts them. From there its 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency to become a family doctor. Jobs when you complete training are easy to find and salaries range from 200-500K/year.

NP: You can either do a combined program or, preferably, do an RN (4 year degree) followed by an NP (3 year degree) after you have some experience nursing. Again, applications are competitive, though not as competitive as medical school. Jobs are plentiful and are usually in the 6 figures.

Naturopath/homeopath: These are two kinds of magical thinking that were popularized by scam artists in the US. Naturopaths believe that you should heal with herbs and other natural remedies. It sounds plausible but nothing they do actually works. Homeopaths believe that diluting something with water makes its healing effects stronger, rather than weaker, which means that they are literally to dumb to mix paint. Neither of these professions does anything useful. The job market for all subsets of fake medicine is dismal, there is way more supply than demand.

Dietician: No idea what the market is like. Dieticians can be integrated into large health systems, and sometime subspecialize in particular conditions (geriatrics, tube feeding, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, etc). Rarely preventative. You would think dieticians would be more focused on preventative care but the way healthcare is funded dieticians are rarely involved with weight loss except for either wealthy cash pay patients or in adjunct to a gastric bypass.

Careers you are not considering include nursing (without the NP) and respiratory therapy. If you actually want to be involved with real preventative care, and you're starting over at 40, and are tied to a particular region those would be the best fields to look into.

 

[Shinken]

Y'all realize the OP is a troll, right?

 

[deleted87716]

Obviously. I just enjoy any opportunity to riff on functional medicine.

 

[Perrotfish]

Y'all realize the OP is a troll, right?

No, I think this is actually a serious question. OP has no idea what medical training entails, but isn't a troll.

 

[Delta Daisy]

Lol. Wow! I didn't realize my post or question was going to evoke such a child like response or negativity towards me or my interest. Haha. Very comical to see people get their panties in a bunch.

I only see one or two comments that were useful mostly not derogative comments or judgemental which you all are entitled to have your opinions but your negative comments were not answering my question just your chance to be heard to whoever will listen. Haha.

And I'm far from being a hippie, tree hugger, world peace, smoking dubies person but I'd except the western big pharmaceutical school driven folks to say that.

Thanks for the helpful guidance!

 

[deleted87716]

Sorry, but if anyone is "child-like," it's you and your naivete. Glad you found it comical, since we found it hilarious, too.

All of the comments were useful. You just aren't paying attention.

 

[Delta Daisy]

Haha! No need to send a fake sorry. I'm not sorry. Go functional medicine!

And yes there may have been a few helpful tips between the bashing but your comments was not one of them.

Best of luck to you fake dog! I mean blue dog.

 

[deleted87716]

Dude, I'm not sorry. Not even a little bit. If you want to be a quack, knock yourself out. Just don't expect pats on the back from people who actually know WTF is going on.

 

[Delta Daisy]

Dude, I'm not sorry. Not even a little bit. If you want to be a quack, knock yourself out. Just don't expect pats on the back from people who actually know WTF is going on.

Your an assumptuve Lil thing.

Just to clarify I'm not a dude and never expected a pat on the back. Perhaps you do and your falling short in that department.

I'm going to end my time with you but I suspect you can't resist responding. Happy trails Lil dog.

 

[deleted87716]

:troll: