Confessions of a naturopathic doctor
For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women. —Elizabeth Blackwell (The first female physician in the U.S.) As a new blogger, I’ve been paying more attention to online health sources. I have noticed many of the media…
My husband, Taylor, contributes another article for ND this week. He depicts a gruesome tale of a field chef mutilating his hand. Taylor then eloquently relates this experience to naturopathic education by examining reading assignments for Bastnyr’s basic and clinical science courses and the faculty who teach them. Enjoy! Where...
This post originally appeared on ScienceBasedMedicine.org on April 13, 2015. I am including the article here in its original form to help readers easily discover the truth about naturopathic education. Right before I left the naturopathic profession, an Arizona naturopath told me that “all NDs are doing something borderline...
I am no longer a licensed naturopathic doctor. My Arizona license expired on New Year’s Eve of 2014. My Washington license expired this past week, on my 31st birthday. Both states gave me unreasonably broad scopes of practice. I was allowed to diagnose and treat disease, order labs and imaging,...
There is no way that naturopathic training produces better health care that is affordable or more efficacious than what is currently available. Yet, this is exactly the rhetoric fed to federal and state lawmakers about naturopathic medicine, and it is wrong.
In the summer before starting at Bastyr University, I met a naturopath at a Dave Matthews concert. She recently graduated from Bastyr and was excited to meet someone who was about to embark on their own naturopathic journey. “One of three things will happen to you while at Bastyr,” she...
I did not want to be a skeptic. I equated skepticism with two character traits I did not like: pessimism and cynicism. As a naturopathic student and then naturopathic doctor, I felt it was important to remain likeable so I didn’t challenge information in ways that could be perceived as...
Britt’s Note: My husband recently suggested that I investigate the admissions standards for naturopathic schools. I said, “You should!” He replied, “Okay, I will.” I welcome Taylor, my husband, archaeologist, general skeptic, and part-time dog trainer to NaturopathicDiaries.com with his article comparing the admission standards of naturopathic schools with nearby medical schools. Naturopaths claim...
Critics have accused me of not fully understanding the “comprehensive” naturopathic education I received at Bastyr University. They have suggested that I complete a curriculum comparison myself. Well, I basically already have done just that. I recently posted a breakdown and analysis of my clinical training at Bastyr University in an article on Science-Based Medicine....
Once, a lawyer gave me astute advice. He looked at me, with his thirty years of medical malpractice experience, and said, “You are now officially on notice.” I took his words to mean my ethical and legal obligation to act in light of knowledge about misconduct. His words continue to...
