I\'m a practicing N.D.

I\'m very disappointed in the tone here.

Unfortunately, including your posts, too much of what I\'ve read on this board has been the complaints of people who didn\'t finish the N.D. program or don\'t practice as naturopathic doctors.

Very candidly, if you couldn\'t find it in yourself to complete the program and practice as an N.D., why do feel you\'ve earned the right to comment on the profession?

You\'re disillusioned. I\'m very sorry to hear about that; disappoinmnet is hard. Still, you\'re an adult; move on and get on with your life.

Naturopathic medicine has been a wonderful career for me and for the N.D.s with whom I communicate. I\'m proud of both my diagnostic skills and my therapeutic protocols. Home births, honest diet/nutritional therapy, effective use of supplements and botanical medicines as well as acupuncture (all skills I learned the rudiments of at Bastyr) have made for a wonderful and effective career as a doctor.

I brought to my education at Bastyr and I bring to my daily practice a healthy respect for my patients and a deep desire to find out what ails them and how or if I can remedy that. It is rewarding and I wouldn\'t trade it for any job.

The few people who\'ve taken time from their lives to whine about naturaopathic education or N.D. practice haven\'t the self-awareness to acknowledge that they didn\'t belong in an N.D. program.

It\'s very hard work being a physician. There are patients who lie to you, alcoholic patients, drug abusers, patients who steal from you, doctors who lie to you, incompetent doctors.. so what?! That\'s life and life, my friends, is precious.

Physicians are in the business of making life better for sick people. You pick the tools you want touse to do that.

Naturopathic medicine works incredibly well for me; it clearly didn\'t work for you, Rebecca. So, if you\'ve now discovered that you\'d prefer an M.D. or a D.O. education and practice, get on with it. Posts such as your own and MS3\'s that go on about how you\'ve been done wrong are just puerile.

You didn\'t have strength to persevere and get an N.D. degree. Admit this and be at peace with it.

You missed out on a great career and you\'ve limited your options as a direct result. Try attending a homebirth as an M.D.; try encouraging an herbal medicine when your profession recommends a drug. Try recommending diet when your peers push statins. Look at what COX-II inhibs and HRT has wrought. I wouldn\'t want to be limited to the therapeutic options an M.D. or D.O. has for any amount of money.

In spite of my tone here and my tremendous disappointment at your choice to malign my profession absent any real practical experience as an N.D., I do hope you have a fulfilling career.

Try to remember that if you find you have nothing good to say about something or someone, it\'s probably best to remain quiet. Sincerely

John