Integrative Medicine

Today marks the first day of my fellowship in integrative medicine. Yes. More training. After 4 years of residency and 1 extra year of chief residency I decided to do more!

When I tell people about integrative medicine, the majority have a confused look on their face.

What is that exactly?

what is integrative medicine?


As a primary care physician, my job is to promote health and wellness. My goal is to prevent disease before it happens and unfortunately that is getting harder and harder to do. Access to healthcare is improving, but overall health and wellness is declining. Why is that? I have a few theories.  Most medicine today is symptom driven, rather than prevention driven.  Chronic diseases are not easily fixed in a 15 minute office visit! Nor does writing a prescription mean you are making headway in overall health.

Because of this, many people are not satisfied with their current state of health. This contributes to more and more patients diagnosing themselves after hours of internet research. In addition, many go on to try complementary approaches without the guidance of a physician or other healthcare professional, which could lead to all kinds of problems!

I've always been interested in overall wellness, nutrition, and other preventive medicine practices. I chose to go to an osteopathic medical school because I truly believe in whole person health.

The fellowship at the University of Arizona is a way for me to build on the practices I already believe in, as well as learn new approaches to help more people. It's a very exciting time for me, and I can't wait to share my experiences! You can learn more about my program below.

The University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

What complementary or alternative approaches to medicine have you tried? Anything you would like to hear more about?
Leave a comment below and let me know!

I'll be back later this week with a Greek-inspired salmon taco recipe!

xoxo
Kate