![]() How does the doctor practice wellness in his or her own life? Is the doctor committed to working sustainable hours? What does he do to manage stress? Does the doctor eat well? Is she active? Does he have good relationships? If the doctor does not practice health and wellness in his own life, he may not be totally committed to the process and will be limited in his ability to understand and support you.Ĥ. Self care habits – This might seem like a strange topic to discuss with a potential doctor, but it matters. ![]() Don’t be shy about asking these more personal questions. You have to be able to trust your functional medicine doctor with a lot of personal information, and to trust him or her to work on your behalf to get to the root of the problem. Health problems are often complex, and we (the scientific and medical community) just don’t know all there is to know about the human body and healing, so your doctor has to be humble enough to say, “I don’t know, let’s find out together.” And your doctor has to be willing to accept your point of view about your own health and your values. Is faith in healing important to you? Where do you stand on vaccines? Do you tend to prefer a conventional or holistic approach to treatment? There is no room for ego in functional medicine. Your doctor should also have similar health values or be very open minded about yours. In order to understand your whole health story, your functional medicine doctor will have to be a good listener, caring, and authentic. If you are having a highly technical surgery, it’s not such a big deal, but if you are seeking a functional medicine physician, personality and values become very important. Personality and values – Bedside manner is a game changer in medicine. Does the doctor have a reputation for being an astute problem solver and able to diagnose complex problems? Ask around. Functional medicine doctors should have done additional coursework and training in functional medicine and be actively practicing the functional approach with their patients. Look for a doctor who has completed a residency in the area you will be seeking care and is board certified in that specialty. Most doctors who completed a residency will be board certified in one or more specialties, and some will even be a fellow or have additional certification in areas of interest. Training and expertise – You can assume all physicians (MD or DO) received similar schooling to get their degrees, but you should find out if the doctor you’re considering completed a residency, which is practical, on-the-job supervised training for several years after medical school.It can be challenging to find a doctor you really like and trust, but it’s really important to take steps ahead of time to find a doctor who is a good fit for you.Ĭonsider these 5 questions when looking for a functional medicine doctor:
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