Doctor Resources

For important medical decisions, people are used to the idea of getting a second opinion. What they often don’t realize is that when they consult a second doctor who also went to a mainstream medical school and is being routinely educated by the same drug companies, what they are really getting is the same opinion 2 different times. That is why I think everyone should have an “alternative” practitioner on their team so they can make informed decisions with a broader base of information. (Please read the page on Quacks.)

One important concern is to make sure your doctor isn’t being unduly influenced by financial incentives from the makers of drugs and devices. The government provides the Open Payments database where you can search for any such connections your physician has.

Some of the associations linked below have a practitioner locator utility on their sites. Another approach is to ask a local independent health food store or compounding pharmacist who they get good reports on.

Integrative medicine
The International College of Integrative Medicine

American Holistic Health Association

The Institute for Functional Medicine 

American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM)
American College for Advancement in Medicine
The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA)
Patients’ site on Integrative Medicine

Environmental medicine
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine

Naturopathic medicine
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
Bastyr University (of naturopathic medicine)

Nutritionists
The International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists

Other disciplines
Chiropractors accessed though this site tend to be holistic and well trained.

International Association of Healthcare Practitioners
Interactive spine graphic showing what organs are related to each vertebrae

General info on acupuncture. Another site about acupuncture and specific conditions

Hospitals
Compare Hospitals

Government
Government health information and statistics