Responding to Functional Medicine Naysayers

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
There are many naysayers – both people and organizations – that criticize functional medicine as “quackery” or “pseudoscience.”  As a clinician who has worked exclusively in functional medicine for over 12 years, I know that people can “function” better through functional medicine care.  But I also acknowledge that there are valid concerns, as the interest […]... Read More

Where I Received My Functional Medicine Education

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
I get asked all the time: What is the best organization for functional medicine education? As much as I’d like to say that one of the following is THE best, the truth is that every organization has their strengths, and areas they could improve on. My List (So Far…) The following are organizations where I’ve […]... Read More
IMG_1462

What I Learned from Starting – and Leaving – A Functional Medicine Practice

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
At the end of 2017, I left an established functional medicine practice and started my own. At the time, I was living in Austin, TX. I looked into positions at other established functional medicine clinics, but the salaries were abysmal (i.e. most paid hourly at $50 an hour, yet charged patients $500 an hour to […]... Read More
annie-spratt-1132840-unsplash

Courses and Training on Mycotoxin-Induced Illness

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
Mold is part of our world. It is inconvenient when we find it on our food.  It is irritating when it causes allergies.  It can be lifesaving when it creates an antibiotic. But of the more than 50,000 species of mold, around 200 are currently known to potentially cause serious illness in humans. particularly via […]... Read More
design-desk-eyewear-313690

What is the best functional medicine training program?

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
I started my path in functional and integrative medicine in the 90’s.  I’ve worked for others. I’ve co-owned my own practice. And today, I work with the amazing team at Parsley Health.   In addition to working with patients, I also do what I can to support my colleagues through my free weekly clinical pearls […]... Read More

Brief Summary of the Top 3 Comprehensive Functional Medicine Programs

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
The following programs are the longest running, and the ones that most seasoned functional medicine clinicians are most familiar with. There are many more options, some comprehensive and others that are covering specific topics, which you can find in the Detailed Guide to Functional Medicine Education (for clinicians). Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) The concept […]... Read More
Rectangular CCM Logo

Article I Wrote for TAPA on My Functional Medicine Business Journey

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
The following is an article I wrote for the Texas Association of Physician Assistants. 1) What got you interested in functional medicine? When Dr. Jeffrey Bland coined the term “functional medicine”, it was intended to be a hybrid of molecular biology, integrative medicine, and conventional medicine. It was not intended to be “green allopathy” (more on that […]... Read More
qtq80-QRHSmB

Green Allopathy

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
The other day, I was shopping at my local Natural Grocers.  As I walked through the supplement section, I heard a customer discussing some allergy-type symptoms with the employee.  The employee was well-versed in which supplements to suggest, and recommended a couple of options for symptom relief.   As I listened to this brief exchange, […]... Read More
Canva - Lone Poppy

Tall Poppy Syndrome: Handling Criticism in Integrative Medicine

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
As practitioners learn and reap the benefits of functional medicine, they will inevitably encounter colleagues that try to belittle their efforts.  Any practitioner that goes beyond the constraints of allopathic medicine (particularly if they have received training in Western medicine) will be subjected to judgements and criticism. When this happens, it is only natural to […]... Read More
barrier-chain-chain-link-fence-951408 qtq80-QOKiGC

Standard of Care and Functional Medicine

Posted on by Meg McElroy MS, PA-C
  I once read a Facebook post in an integrative community group that asked members what natural “go-to” remedies were recommended to give her husband (who had been in an accident a few hours earlier, and was “showing signs” of a concussion).  Floods of comments came through, giving dietary and supplement device, until finally an […]... Read More