Again, if someone wants to practice as an N.D., the career is more than satisfying. If someone really doesn\'t want to be an N.D. and they\'ve chosen to study naturopathic medicine then they are going to sound bitter. Self awareness is important when you choose a career path. The same goes for M.D., D.C,. D.D.S. or D.O. students and practitioners.

Grey Dawn, you were unhappy with the care you received from an N.D.; I apologize to you for this if none of my colleagues has yet done so.

I occasionally see people who have been mistreated by M.D.s; one patient of mine recently had a malignant and metastatic tumor missed by her M.D., another a serious infection missed. I discovered both of these. These cases don\'t diminish what good M.D.s do. Theses examples point out, to me, that if what you desire is N.D. care or, alternatively, M.D. care, you need to seek one or the other. And second opinions are important. The Lancet has an ongoing series about \"Uses of Medical Error\" wherein physicians explain mistakes they\'ve made so that we all can learn not to do likewise.

Safe and effective medicine is not guaranteed by the style of care a doctor practices but rather is a function of each individual physician\'s commitment to his or her patients.