It's been said: "the best research is me-search". The next series of posts are partly for me, an aspiring whole-person, whole-life healer and family physician, and partly for you, a current or aspiring healer unsure of which certification or additional training best meets your goals to care for patients.

In this series, I'll synthesize my understandings of what differentiates these types of practice, and you'll hear from experts in each field about what training was most helpful for them, and how additional certifications did (or didn't) impact their clinical practice. Each one of the people interviewed are whole-person, whole-life healers, emphasizing one of my favorite sayings from a very special yoga teacher of mine (@Kari Kwinn, thank you for all of your lessons): "There is more than one right way to do everything."

Below is a small summary and introduction of each type. I think you'll find that these have more in common with one another than different - all are focused on whole-person, preventative medicine, using many other modalities of healing besides pharmacology and surgical interventions. I hope you find these posts helpful & I'm here if you have questions on your journey! Even if I can't answer them, I might know someone who can. 🤗

LIFESTYLE MEDICINE

  • definition (from website here): a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity by applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connections—also provides effective prevention for these conditions.
  • curricula/certification: curriculum is integrated into many residency programs (Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum aka LMRC, map of residencies currently offering here); upon completion, you can take the ACLM Board Exam.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

  • definition (loose; depends on who you ask!): more of an approach to care than a type of specialty; this approach seamlessly integrates complementary therapies with conventional medicine, including modalities of healing like traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, herbal medicine, chiropractic care, nutraceuticals and botanicals, acupuncture, and more; emphasis is given to the role of emotional and spiritual health as part of whole-person wellness, with a focus on the mind-body connection and its application.
  • Curricula available in residency programs (Integrative Medicine in Residency aka IMFR, list of residencies currently offering here). Completion of this program does NOT allow you to take the Board Exam.
  • Fellowship is 2 years (1000 hrs, 3 weeks of immersion in-person in Tuscon). eligibility includes MDs, DOs, and NDs (naturopathic physicians), as well as midlevel providers. fellowship can be done during medical residency if you are in a program that participates in IMFR, though there is a significant tuition fee for the fellowship. Can only sit Board Exam if you complete Fellowship. More info here.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

  • definition (from website here): a comprehensive, whole health approach to prevention, health, and well-being through treating root causes of disease and restoring healthy function through a personalized patient experience
  • curricula/training: to be eligible to apply, you must have at least a master’s level degree in a health-related field from an accredited university and a valid license to practice. for certification, several courses and steps are required, with ongoing CE. the cost is significant and subject to change. you can see coursework and the roadmap to becoming certified here.