Becoming A Naturopathic Physician
One of my best strengths is my ability to logically think and analyze through decisions that I have to make. I rarely, if ever, make a decision without first thinking it through for a long time. This thought process has helped me a lot in life and has helped ensure that I make good decisions with my life, instead of decisions that I end up regretting in the future. It lead me to choose to come to Eau Claire for school instead of something closer to home. This type of thinking will help me as a Naturopathic Physician as I work to treat my patients and find the best solution to their problems. I will be able to critically think about their health problem and what different ways there could be to treat them.
My career choice has been set for …show more content…
a long time. I knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician even when I was in High School. Over the past semester and the time spent in this class has not altered my decision at all. However, I do feel that this class has, to some degree, helped prepare me to be a more effective Physician to my patients by teaching me how to be a better communicator. Growing up, I did not have many examples of good communicators, so I learned as I went along and got better through practice. It is important for a Physician to be able to communicate with their patients, because that is how they learn about their patients and their health concerns and it is how they tell their patients what they can do to get better. In the field of Naturopathic Medicine, I already know some simple home remedies, and I also have the perspective and experience of being a patient of a Naturopathic Physician. My time as a patient really helped cement my decision to become a Naturopathic Physician myself. I know more about what a Naturopathic Physician does now and how they work with their patients to give them options and help them figure out which option is the best for them.
Over the semester, this class has really helped me to become a better communicator, which is one of the areas of my life that was really bad before.
I did not like to communicate what I was feeling or thinking, because I was worried that people would judge me or disagree with my opinion. However, through a combination of this class and my work in counseling, I have become a better communicator, and there have been a couple times recently that I have actually gone to people and talked to them about what I was feeling and what I needed. I am also more aware of how much work I still need to do to become an even better communicator and how to make sure that I am getting my needs fulfilled in every relationship that I have. This means that I have to become a more assertive communicator instead of passive, because being passive did not allow me to get what I needed from my relationships, and the things that I need are just as important as anyone else’s …show more content…
needs.
My Weaknesses
The biggest weakness that I can think of is how much I analyze things and over think even the simplest decisions in my life. It is important to think and analyze the big decisions, but the small decisions, like whether to go out to dinner or not with friends or to hang out with a friend, do not need excessive thought about them. I really need to work on making small decisions with less thought, because they often do not need as much thought as I give them. I think I have been getting a little better, but I definitely could be way better than I am. I also tend to think way too much on whether or not I made the right decision after I made it. It makes it hard to make plans with people because I wonder if I am making the best choice or if I should stay home. I think that, many times, my overthinking caused me to miss out on opportunities to do things that I am interested in because I spend so much time thinking about whether I really want to do it or not.
As far as being a Naturopathic Physician, I definitely have more room to grow. I have not gone to medical school yet, so I do not know all that I need to know in order to help and treat people for their various health concerns. However, I have a plan for what I want to do, and how I will get to where I need to be in order to accomplish those goals. I have no doubt that the school that I chose for medical school will help me to become better prepared and ready for a life as a Naturopathic Physician. I do already have many of the values necessary to be a physician. I care about other people, and want them to have the ability to live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. I think people should be able to physically do the activities that they want to until they become very old. I also believe that there are alternatives to treating people with huge invasive surgeries and drugs for every problem that they have. However, I do not currently have a lot of patience for people who choose not to do things that would improve their health. That is something I need to work on because without a doubt there will always be patients looking for help, but not always willing to put all the effort into making themselves healthy. I will need to be more understanding and empathetic of what else they may have going on in their lives that prevents them from doing everything I suggest to them.
Reasons for Seeking a Biology Degree
My main reason for choosing to get a Biology degree was my goal to be a Naturopathic Physician. When I came to UW- Eau Claire, I knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician, so I knew I would need a lot of science and biology classes in order to get me there. In addition, in High School, I really enjoyed the biology classes I had, and specifically when we dissected different animals. I was really hoping that biology in college would be more of the same with a lot of dissections. It was not, but I still enjoyed the classes I took and learning more about what makes life what it is. I also had a chemistry teacher in high school who said that the only people who could use a plain biology degree these days were those who wanted to be teachers and doctors. I wanted to prove her wrong by getting a biology degree and using it. However, I also knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician, so by getting a biology and then going on to medical school, I am only proving her right.
In order to be an effective biology student, I had to be curious and interested in always learning more information.
It is important to actually be interested in learning the various small details that I learned as a biologist. Being curious and interested in learning is also important as a Naturopathic Physician, because I will have to know a lot of different information in order to best help my patients. In addition, I will have to keep learning new information as new information comes out and new studies are done. The AANP Code of Ethics says that it is important for Naturopathic Physicians to stay current with the best practices so that patients are always receiving the best care (2015). Another important aspect of being a biology student and a Naturopathic Physician was to ensure that I was always doing everything to the best of my ability (AANP Code of Ethics 2015). Biology requires understanding many fine details, which does not just come when the professor explains it during lecture. It requires outside studying and working hard to understand all the details. I will use this work ethic in my career as a Naturopathic Physician, and during medical school as I learn to understand all the intricacies of the systems of the body working together, and how one thing can cause the whole system to
unravel.
Value Conflicts
One of the conflicts that I have between the AANP code of ethics and my personal life is working with transgender people as they transition. According to my religious beliefs, God made us how we are meant to be, and He does not make mistakes when He creates us male or female. However, the AANP code of ethics says that Naturopathic Physicians are not to discriminate on gender or sexual orientation (2015). The code of ethics says that a Naturopathic Physician is allowed to deny care as long as the patient has a satisfactory alternative (2015). There are two different ideas to get out of this conflict. One of them is that I could just refer the patient to another physician who may even be better prepared to care for the patient who is going through a gender transition. Another point is that I just provide care for the person, but do not necessarily help them as they go through the transition. However, that is not caring for the whole person, which would most likely decrease the quality of care that I provide. As a Naturopathic Physician, or any physician, it is important to provide the best quality of care that I can so that the patient has the highest quality of care.
There appear to be no other conflicts between my values and those of the Naturopathic field. The Code of Ethics is very short, and there are not many other points that I have a contention with. They all make a lot of sense, and I agree with them all. Patients should get what they need in order to get healthier.
My career choice has been set for …show more content…
a long time. I knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician even when I was in High School. Over the past semester and the time spent in this class has not altered my decision at all. However, I do feel that this class has, to some degree, helped prepare me to be a more effective Physician to my patients by teaching me how to be a better communicator. Growing up, I did not have many examples of good communicators, so I learned as I went along and got better through practice. It is important for a Physician to be able to communicate with their patients, because that is how they learn about their patients and their health concerns and it is how they tell their patients what they can do to get better. In the field of Naturopathic Medicine, I already know some simple home remedies, and I also have the perspective and experience of being a patient of a Naturopathic Physician. My time as a patient really helped cement my decision to become a Naturopathic Physician myself. I know more about what a Naturopathic Physician does now and how they work with their patients to give them options and help them figure out which option is the best for them.
Over the semester, this class has really helped me to become a better communicator, which is one of the areas of my life that was really bad before.
I did not like to communicate what I was feeling or thinking, because I was worried that people would judge me or disagree with my opinion. However, through a combination of this class and my work in counseling, I have become a better communicator, and there have been a couple times recently that I have actually gone to people and talked to them about what I was feeling and what I needed. I am also more aware of how much work I still need to do to become an even better communicator and how to make sure that I am getting my needs fulfilled in every relationship that I have. This means that I have to become a more assertive communicator instead of passive, because being passive did not allow me to get what I needed from my relationships, and the things that I need are just as important as anyone else’s …show more content…
needs.
My Weaknesses
The biggest weakness that I can think of is how much I analyze things and over think even the simplest decisions in my life. It is important to think and analyze the big decisions, but the small decisions, like whether to go out to dinner or not with friends or to hang out with a friend, do not need excessive thought about them. I really need to work on making small decisions with less thought, because they often do not need as much thought as I give them. I think I have been getting a little better, but I definitely could be way better than I am. I also tend to think way too much on whether or not I made the right decision after I made it. It makes it hard to make plans with people because I wonder if I am making the best choice or if I should stay home. I think that, many times, my overthinking caused me to miss out on opportunities to do things that I am interested in because I spend so much time thinking about whether I really want to do it or not.
As far as being a Naturopathic Physician, I definitely have more room to grow. I have not gone to medical school yet, so I do not know all that I need to know in order to help and treat people for their various health concerns. However, I have a plan for what I want to do, and how I will get to where I need to be in order to accomplish those goals. I have no doubt that the school that I chose for medical school will help me to become better prepared and ready for a life as a Naturopathic Physician. I do already have many of the values necessary to be a physician. I care about other people, and want them to have the ability to live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. I think people should be able to physically do the activities that they want to until they become very old. I also believe that there are alternatives to treating people with huge invasive surgeries and drugs for every problem that they have. However, I do not currently have a lot of patience for people who choose not to do things that would improve their health. That is something I need to work on because without a doubt there will always be patients looking for help, but not always willing to put all the effort into making themselves healthy. I will need to be more understanding and empathetic of what else they may have going on in their lives that prevents them from doing everything I suggest to them.
Reasons for Seeking a Biology Degree
My main reason for choosing to get a Biology degree was my goal to be a Naturopathic Physician. When I came to UW- Eau Claire, I knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician, so I knew I would need a lot of science and biology classes in order to get me there. In addition, in High School, I really enjoyed the biology classes I had, and specifically when we dissected different animals. I was really hoping that biology in college would be more of the same with a lot of dissections. It was not, but I still enjoyed the classes I took and learning more about what makes life what it is. I also had a chemistry teacher in high school who said that the only people who could use a plain biology degree these days were those who wanted to be teachers and doctors. I wanted to prove her wrong by getting a biology degree and using it. However, I also knew that I wanted to be a Naturopathic Physician, so by getting a biology and then going on to medical school, I am only proving her right.
In order to be an effective biology student, I had to be curious and interested in always learning more information.
It is important to actually be interested in learning the various small details that I learned as a biologist. Being curious and interested in learning is also important as a Naturopathic Physician, because I will have to know a lot of different information in order to best help my patients. In addition, I will have to keep learning new information as new information comes out and new studies are done. The AANP Code of Ethics says that it is important for Naturopathic Physicians to stay current with the best practices so that patients are always receiving the best care (2015). Another important aspect of being a biology student and a Naturopathic Physician was to ensure that I was always doing everything to the best of my ability (AANP Code of Ethics 2015). Biology requires understanding many fine details, which does not just come when the professor explains it during lecture. It requires outside studying and working hard to understand all the details. I will use this work ethic in my career as a Naturopathic Physician, and during medical school as I learn to understand all the intricacies of the systems of the body working together, and how one thing can cause the whole system to
unravel.
Value Conflicts
One of the conflicts that I have between the AANP code of ethics and my personal life is working with transgender people as they transition. According to my religious beliefs, God made us how we are meant to be, and He does not make mistakes when He creates us male or female. However, the AANP code of ethics says that Naturopathic Physicians are not to discriminate on gender or sexual orientation (2015). The code of ethics says that a Naturopathic Physician is allowed to deny care as long as the patient has a satisfactory alternative (2015). There are two different ideas to get out of this conflict. One of them is that I could just refer the patient to another physician who may even be better prepared to care for the patient who is going through a gender transition. Another point is that I just provide care for the person, but do not necessarily help them as they go through the transition. However, that is not caring for the whole person, which would most likely decrease the quality of care that I provide. As a Naturopathic Physician, or any physician, it is important to provide the best quality of care that I can so that the patient has the highest quality of care.
There appear to be no other conflicts between my values and those of the Naturopathic field. The Code of Ethics is very short, and there are not many other points that I have a contention with. They all make a lot of sense, and I agree with them all. Patients should get what they need in order to get healthier.