Counterfeit Doctors
How do you know if your dollar bill is real or counterfeit?
I have always been told that to recognize the counterfeit, you have to study the real deal. You have to know what a real dollar bill looks like. What shade of green is it? What exactly is printed on it, especially the small print that might otherwise go unnoticed? What is the watermark? Where is the watermark? How does the dollar bill feel in your hands? Is the paper thick, thin, rough, smooth? After spending time studying the real thing, a fake will be obvious in 10 seconds. You don’t have to know all the counterfeit bills out there to be able to spot one; you only have to know the one that matters.
This philosophy can be carried into many aspects of life. You only need to know the one that matters. You need to know the real deal. And this can be applied to your healthcare as well.
There has been a trend in the United States the past few years towards a more holistic approach to healthcare. This trend has been primarily consumer driven because patients are recognizing that traditional allopathic medicine often does not have all the answers, especially for chronic wellness deficiencies or to address sick prevention. So patients are seeking answers elsewhere, primarily in the offices of physicians and dentists who have a holistic philosophy to health, looking at the entire body as one unit, recognizing that the infection in that tooth could actually be affecting the pain in that knee. And this is wonderful because it means patients are getting great preventative care and attention to their overall wellbeing. But in the midst of the really great holistic practitioners, I have noticed another trend. A trend in the counterfeit.
Markets often respond to consumer demand and healthcare is no different. Although many holistically minded physicians and dentists are the real deal, unfortunately, some are not. I have noticed naturopathic physicians entering the scene that call themselves “doctor”, yet received their degree in an online course that took them only 9-12 months. I have seen dentists market themselves as biological dentists who have received little to no additional training. I have researched other biological dentists only to find out that they offer root canal therapy and/or fluoride. I’ve seen patients who say they had been to a biological dentist for years, yet they still have leaking mercury fillings in their mouths.
My message here is simply a warning. When seeking out holistically-minded healthcare providers, do your research. Ask questions. Where did they receive their education? Did they attend an accredited program? Was it an online course, and if so, was it accredited? Personally, I attained my Holistic Nutrition degree in an online course. However, it was through an accredited program and took me 4 years to complete. It was the real deal. Pay attention to passion and quality in the practice. Does the healthcare provider as well as the team practice what they preach? Are they constantly seeking higher education to take great care of themselves and better care of you? Does the dentist offer services that conflict with the philosophy they are advertising?
There are many wonderful holistically minded healthcare practitioners. From Functional Medicine, to Chiropractic Care, to Naturopathic Physicians, to Biological Dentists and beyond; there are passionate, intelligent providers who will continue practicing their passion even when the trend passes. Be diligent to find them. Don’t accept a counterfeit.